Anguilla anguilla ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Çiçek, Erdoğan, Sungur, Sevil, Fricke, Ronald & Seçer, Burak, 2023, Freshwater lampreys and fishes of Türkiye; an annotated checklist, 2023, Turkish Journal of Zoology 47 (6), pp. 324-468 : 330

Anguilla anguilla ( Linnaeus, 1758) [N] ― European eel/ Yılan balığı

Taxonomy. Original description: Muraena anguilla Linnaeus, 1758: 245 [Europe, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, northeastern Atlantic (original: “in Europa; maxima in lacu Cornachio Ferrariensi”); localities include Sweden; England; Belgium; Germany; Poland; France; Ferrara and Rome, Italy; Lesbos Island, Greece; Syria; no types known]. ― Synonyms: None. ― Revisions: Ege (1939: 90). ― Illustration: Kottelat and Freyhof (2007: 62, fig.).

Status in Türkiye. Listed in previous checklists from Türkiye by Bilecenoğlu et al. (2002, 2014); Kuru (2004); Geldiay and Balık (2007); Fricke et al. (2007); Kuru et al. (2014); Çiçek et al. (2015, 2020). ― Türkiye material: None.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Türkiye: All coastal watersheds of Türkiye. ― Distribution in river basins: 1-Meriç-Ergene, 2-Marmara, 3-Susurluk, 4-Kuzey Ege, 5-Gediz, 6-Küçük Menderes, 7-Büyük Menderes, 8-Batı Akdeniz, 9- Antalya, 12- Sakarya, 13- Batı Karadeniz, 14-Yeşilırmak, 15-Kızılırmak, 17-Doğu Akdeniz, 18-Seyhan, 19-Asi, 20-Ceyhan, 22-Doğu Karadeniz, 23-Çoruh. ― General distribution: Western Atlantic: larvae in Sargasso Sea and Gulf Stream; eastern Atlantic, Baltic Sea, North Sea, White Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Marmara, Black Sea: European seas and adjacent watersheds, spawning and larval migration routes to and from the western Atlantic. Introduced in the Caspian Sea basin. ― Distribution in ecoregions: 418-Dniester - Lower Danube, 423-Thrace, 429-Western Anatolia, 430-Northern Anatolia, 432-Southern Anatolia, 433-Western Transcaucasia. ― Habitat: This species is catadromous and found in a range of habitats, from small streams to large rivers and lakes, and in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal waters. It also occupies open ocean areas during migrations, but it is rarely observed in this habitat. Under natural conditions, it only occurs in bodies of water that are connected to the sea; it is stocked elsewhere. Freshwater, brackish, marine.

Economic importance. Commercially important.

Conservation. Conservation status in Türkiye: Unknown. ― IUCN: CR (IUCN, 2023). ― Threats: ABS, FIT, HAB, EUT, CON, COM, TOU.― Moderate sensitivity to human activities. ― Keystone species.― Decline status: Decreasing. ― Moderate priority for conservation action.

Clupeiformes

Clupeoidei

Clupeidae Cuvier, 1816 (herrings and sprats)