ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN TWO WATER BASINS IN THE REGION OF GALABOVO (SOUTH BULGARIA) ON THE BASIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL STABILITY OF CARASSIUS GIBELIO (PISCES: CYPRINIDAE)

P. Boyadzhiev, N. Mehterov, Z. Zhelev

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to present the results of a study on the values of the integral indicator for developmental stability – Fluctuating Asymmetry (FA) in the populations of gibel carp Carassius gibelio that live in two anthropogenically polluted water basins in South Bulgaria: the Sazliyka River and “Rozov Kladenets” Dam Lake. The study was conducted over a period of three consecutive years: 2009–2011. The fluctuating asymmetry of 6 meristic traits was used as a method for evaluating of the developmental stability. In August each year, two indexes were analyzed for 50 individuals from a water basin: FAMI –
Frequency of Asymmetric Manifestation of an Individual and FAMF – Frequency of Asymmetric Manifestation of a Feature. Throughout the period of the study, statistically significant higher levels of FA were found within the population of C. gibelio that lives in the Sazliyka River. Living conditions in the two basins are highly worsening (5th grade), and the population of C. gibelio in the Sazliyka River is in a critical condition, with a higher degree of genetic disorders of homeostasis than the population in “Rozov Kladenets” Dam Lake.

Keywords: anthropogenic pollution; fluctuating asymmetry; gibel carp; RozovKladenets Dam Lake; Sazliyka River

Date published: 2017-09-28