QUALITATIVE COMPOSITION OF MACROPHYTE VEGETATION AND CYPRINID FAUNA FROM LAKE OHRID

T. Talevski, M. Talevska

Abstract: In this paper are presented the researches of the macrophyte vegetation and the cyprinid fish from Lake Ohrid. The researches were performed on 9 localities which cover the whole Lake’s coastline in the territory of R. Macedonia (Radozda, Kalishta, Sateska, Andon Dukov, Mazija, St. Stephan, Metropol, Velidab and Ljubanishta). The macrophyte vegetation from Lake Ohrid provides habitat, shelter and food for many organisms (algae, invertebrates, fish, aquatic birds, etc.). Also, it represents the spawning ground for cyprinid fishes, and has a large role in protecting from theirs predators. In Lake Ohrid, where the bottom of the littoral region gradually decreases in depth, the macrophyte vegetation is distributed in belts: belt of Cladophora, belt of Phragmites, belt of Potamogeton, and belt of Chara. In researched localities were evidenced total of 32 macrophyte species which belong to 14 families: Cladophoraceae, Poaceae, Typhaceae, Cyperaceae, Polygonaceae, Nympheaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Haloragaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Ranunculaceae, Najadaceae, Characeae and Nitellaceae. Also in particular localities was present water moss Fontinalis antipyretica. From cyprinid fish in researched localities were evidenced Alburnoides ohridanus, Alburnus scoranza, Chondrostoma ohridanus, Cyprinis carpio, Gobio ohridanus, Pachychilon pictum, Rutilus ohridanus and Scardinius knezevici. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that qualitative composition of macrophyte vegetation and cyprinid fish is different and depend from slope of littoral region, type of substrate, quantity of nutrients and other ecological conditions present in researched localities. These researches represent a significant contribution to the knowledge of the role of the macrophyte vegetation in the maintenance of the population of cyprinid fish from Lake Ohrid.

Keywords: cyprinid fish; Lake Ohrid; macrophyte vegetation

Date published: 2017-09-28