SPECIES COMPOSITION AND ABUNDANCE OF FISHES IN AMIRKELAYEH WETLAND

In order to determine the species composition and abundance of fishes in Amirkelayeh International wetland a series of seasonal survey were carried out in 2001-2002. The samples were collected by different methods of gillnet, beach seine, castnet, electroshocker and dipnet. After catching the fishes, they were transfered to the laboratory for further species indentification.
A total of 1639 specimens were collected that belong to 7 orders, 9 families, 15 species and subspecies. The identification orders were:Cypriniformes, Salmoniformes, Syngnathiformes, Cyprinodontoformes, Siluriformes, Perciformes and Gasterosteiformes.
Among different orders, the order of Cypriniformes and Gasterosteiformes and among different families, the Cyprinidae and Cobitidae and among different species, Perca jluviatilis and Scardinius erythrophthalmus had the most and the least abundance, respectively. The stock of Tinca tina and Esox lucius were so high.
It should be noticed that three species of Cyprinus carpio, Scardinius erythrophthalmus and Cobitis taenia were found for the first time in this wetland.