Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sander lucioperca View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Pikeperch.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Sander in West Asia by: ○ 1–2 enlarged canine teeth in anterior part of each jaw / ○ 18–22½ branched rays in second dorsal / ○ 80–97 total lateral-line scales. Size up to 1000 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Native to Caspian, Baltic, Black, and Aral basins; Elbe (North Sea basin) and Maritza (Aegean basin) drainages. North to about 65°N in Finland. Introduced into Central Anatolia (Lakes Beyşehir and Eğirdir and Seyhan reservoirs), Iranian Tigris, Kor basin, Lake Urmia, and Namak basins, and possibly elsewhere. Introductions began in Great Britain in 1878, followed by Italy, Strymon drainage ( Greece) and continental Europe west of Elbe, Ebro, Tagus, and Jucar drainages in Iberian Peninsula, Onega and Severnaya Dvina in White Sea basin and widely introduced in North Africa, Ob and Amur drainages (Asian Russia), Lake Issyk-Kul ( Kyrgyzstan), Balkhash, and many smaller basins in central Kazakhstan.

Habitat View Figure . Large, turbid rivers and eutrophic lakes; brackish coastal lakes and estuaries. Often declines if turbidity is reduced.

Biology. Lives up to 17 years. Spawns first time at 3–10 years, usually at 4. Spawns April–May, exceptionally late February–July, depending on latitude and altitude, when temperatures reach 10–14°C (lowest temperature for egg incubation 11.5°C). May undertake short spawning migrations. Individuals foraging in brackish water migrate to freshwater habitats (migrations of up to 250 km have been recorded). Homing well developed, even neighboring populations may be relatively isolated. Male territorial digging shallow pit of about 50 cm in diameter and 5–10 cm deep in sand, gravel, or among exposed plant roots, on which eggs are laid, usually in turbid water and at 1–3 m depth. Spawns in pairs at dawn or night. Female remains above nest while male circles rapidly around it, about 1 m from nest. Male then assumes vertical position, and both swim rapidly around, releasing eggs and sperm. Female leaves nest after all eggs are released. Male defends nest and fans eggs with pectoral fins. Female spawn once a year. Feeding larvae positively phototactic feeding on pelagic organisms after leaving nest for open water. Piscivorous, feeding mainly on gregarious pelagic fish. Stomach contents from Lake Eğirdir revealed a high predation rate on native species, particularly Anatolichcthys iconii .

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Introduced in Lake Eğirdir from Austria in 1955 and was commercially fished between 1960 and 2000. Since then, stocks have declined sharply due to overfishing.

Further reading. Craig 2000 (biology); Lappalainen et al. 2003 (biology); Küçük et al. 2009b (introduction and effects in Eğirdir).