Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Hojjat Sohrabi ¹
• Soheil Eagderi ²

¹ Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran.

² University of Tehran

Abstract

In conservation and fisheries concepts, understanding the needs of fish in the aquatic ecosystems is important. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate and identify the habitat preference pattern of Cobitis saniae in the Sefidroud River. For this purpose, sampling was carried out along the river from bottom to top at eight sampling sites each with three repetitions. A total of 28 environmental and physicochemical factors were recorded and measured. The results of the habitat preference based on the studied factors showed that the increase in the values of altitude, depth, river width, salinity, pH, alkalinity, TDS, TSS, hardness, turbidity, EC, COD, No3, PO4, NH3, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and SO4 finally, the preference decreased. The findings showed that the highest and lowest preferences were related to the two factors K (0.881) and NH4 (0.369), respectively. In general, the Sefidroud River was reported as a moderate to favorable habitat for Sania’s spined loach. The results of this study can be useful to the conservation programs for this species in stressful conditions and for optimum exploitation of the Sefidroud River.

Keywords

• Biological conservation
• Sustainable exploitation
• Cobitidae
• Habitat suitability index