rsg_book_2013

Fishwith irregular shores and bottoms in the area (volumes: 50 - 60 m 3 , surfaces: 30 -40 m 2 , mean depths: 1 - 1.5 m, max. depth: 2.5 m.) at locations where thevegetation was degraded (so we did not alter important habitat).Goals Goal 1: To investigate natural habitats and ecological needs of the Europeanmudminnow. Goal 2: Creation and monitoring of new habitats (ponds) with regard to theresults of Goal 1. Goal 3: To create European mudminnow breeding stock in the new habitatswith the release of captive bred individuals (in situ and ex situ conservation). Goal 4: Supplementation at historic and recent natural habitats with therelease of captive bred individuals. Goal 5: Cryopreservation of European mudminnow sperm for later breeding(ex situ conservation).Success Indicators Indicator 1: Creation of new habitats (“Illés’ Ponds”) in the Model Area ofSzada and complex monitoring of new and natural habitats. Indicator 2: Artificial propagation of the European mudminnow andcryopreservation of sperm. Indicator 3: Survival of the captive bred and released individuals in newhabitats. Indicator 4: Breeding of the released individuals in the new habitats. Indicator 5: Releases to supplement natural populations with captive bredindividuals and with those born in the new habitats.Project SummaryFeasibility: The species is known to have been extirpated from many of itsoriginal habitats. It is estimated that mudminnow populations have declined bymore than 30% in the past 10 years. The main reason for this decline isconsidered to be habitat destruction, especially channelization followed by thedestruction of river and stream floodplains (Wanzenböck, 1996). Recently, theinvasive and aggressive Amur sleeper (Perccottus glenii, Dybowski, 1877)supplants U. krameri in Hungarian waters. For instance three original Europeanmudminnow habitats were monitored in Hungary in 2010 and in two of them wecould catch only Amur sleepers and no U. krameri. Systematic stockings ofmudminnows into adjacent streams, canals and still waters might help to developself-sustaining populations of U. krameri in places where the species disappearedor occurs only sparsely. The best method for the maintenance of populationswould be the preservation of a variety of suitable micro-habitats. Furthermore,artificial propagation of mudminnow could also help to increase its stocks (Bíró &Paulovits, 1995).The main objectives of the European Mudminnow Conservation Program are thein situ and ex situ protection of Umbra krameri in order to preserve and increasenatural stocks.16