Species structure and spatial distribution of fish in the Marmarik river

Abstract

The Marmarik River is the largest tributary of the Hrazdan River. However, it is heavily isolated from the main course of the river by the Aghbyurak dam. Considering low density of population and lack of pollution sources in the basin, the Marmarik River valley is a well-known biodiversity area within Armenia. As in many small tributaries, there is a limited knowledge about the ichthyofauna and its spatial distribution in the drainage basin. Thus, the aim of the study was to reveal the species structure and spatial distribution of fish in the Marmarik River. The results show five species of fish permanently dwelling the river where the most abundant one is the Kura chub and the rarest species is Khramicarp. Limited distribution was revealed also for Brown trout and Berg loach.