alterations in ichthyofauna of the largest rivers

District (L avrov 1983); 5) Barbus barbus was previously one of the important
commercial fishes in the Dnieper River. It occurred in the channel up to the city of
Smolensk and in the largest upper tributaries in the Bryansk District. But it was the most
abundant in the channel between Kremenchuk and Zaporozhje, at first on the rapids (B e r g
1949b, Movchan & Smirnov 1981, Lavrov 1983). As a result of hydrological
changes, barbels have become very rare and the species has practically disappeared from the
Middle and Lower Dnieper (Red book of Ukraine 1994). Recently, it occurs in the Upper
Dnieper of Belarus, where it is more or less abundant in the channel between Orsha and
Dubrovno (Z hukov 1965). Probably it has disappeared from the Desna and Sozh rivers
in the Bryansk District (B ogutskaya 1998a); 6) Alburnoides bipunctatus previously
was a common species in the Lower Dnieper at the Dnieprovskie rapids but rare in the
Upper Dnieper (Zhukov 1965, Movchan & Smirnov 1983, Shevtsova et
al. 1986, U glyanets & Korolets 1991). Recently, it has practically disappeared
from the main channel and occurs only in the Upper Dnieper basin in the Smolensk
(Dnieper), Bryansk (Snov) and Kursk (Seim) Districts of Russia (M e º nikov et al. 1965,
Lavrov 1983, Movchan & Smirnov 1983, Poltavchuk & Tsherbukha
1988); 7) The semi-anadromous form of Chalcalburnus chalcoides was never abundant in
the Dnieper River basin (B e r g 1949a), but recently its numbers have decreased sharply,
and it occurs only rarely in Dnieprovsky-Bugsky lagoon and the lowest part of the channel
(Movchan & Smirnov 1983); 8) Semi-anadromous Sander marina also was never a
common or numerous species. Previously it was rare in the lower part of the Dnieper River
basin and its breeding occurred in Dnieprovsky-Bugsky lagoon (B e r g 1949a). Recently its
numbers have decreased due to over fishing and habitat changes (Red book of Ukraine
1994), but as a result of hydrological changes in lagoon its breeding area increased
somewhat (T sherbukha 1982); 9) Cottus gobio occurs in upper parts of small rivers
and springs of the Upper Dnieper only and is recorded for the Pripyat’ River (Zhukov
1965, U glyanets & Korolets 1991); 10) Umbrina cirrosa is a marine fish that
occurs in low number, rarely in Dnieprovsky-Bugsky lagoon (T sherbukha 1982). It
has recently been included in the Ukraine list of rare species (Red book of Ukraine 1994).
Anguilla anguilla, Sander volgensis and Romanogobio albipinnatus also belong to rare
species in the Dnieper River. The latter species is extinct in most areas and in recent years is
recorded for the Sozh River only (Z hukov 1965, B elyaev 1965, M ovchan &
Smirnov 1981). Anguilla anguilla previously occurred in the Middle Dnieper and its
tributaries (Oster River) and reached as far as the cities of Mogiljev and Pinsk in the
Pripyat’ (Pavlov 1980). This species is becoming very rare: small specimens sometimes
are found in the Desna River drainage in the Bryansk District (L avrov 1983), in the
Pripyat’ River and in Kakhovskoye Reservoir (Novitsky 2001). It is supposed to enter
the Pripyat’ River drainage from the West Bug River by Dniepr-Bug system of channels
(Zhukov 1965). Sander volgensis previously occurred in the channel up to the city of
Kremenchuk (B e r g 1949a), but recently it has become rare and its small populations
occur in Dnieprovskoye, Dneprodzerzhinskoye, and Kakhovskoye reservoirs only
(Tsherbukha 1982, Novitsky 1999).
Ten other species are also in decline. They are Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, A. stellatus,
Abramis ballerus, Chondrostoma nasus, Leuciscus borysthenicus, Vimba vimba, Pelecus
cultratus, Cyprinus carpio, Sander lucioperca, and Gymnocephalus cernuus (Zhukov
1965, B ugai 1977, P avlov 1980, M ovchan & Smirnov 1981, 1983).
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