Hemiculter leucisculus, Habitat. Streams

Hemiculter leucisculus View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Sharpbelly.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from superficially similar species of Alburnus by: ● sharp keel on ventral midline from chest to pelvic base / ● last unbranched dorsal ray unsegmented, stiff and spinous with flexible tip / ○ anal origin far behind vertical of last dorsal ray / ○ lateral line curves downward from its origin to end of pectoral fin. Size up to 200 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Non-native to southern Caspian basin in Iran, Azerbaijan, and southern Russia. Locally introduced in Tigris drainage. Native from Amur in Russia, south to China, North and South Korea, Japan, and northern Vietnam.

Habitat. Streams and rivers, reservoirs and lakes. Also in coastal lagoons in Caspian Sea.

Biology. Lives up to 6 years in Iran, begins spawning in second year. Spawns March–August, most likely fractional spawners. Feeds on algae, plant material, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and small fish.

Conservation status. Non-native; introduced as a weed with stocked Common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) or/and Chinese carps ( Ctenopharyngodon, Hyophthalmichthys ).

Remarks. An invasive species introduced with Chinese carp from Central Asia, invading the Caspian and Tigris basins. Could appear wherever carp are stocked as it is transported long distances with carp fingerlings. The current source of this species appears to be Caspian hatcheries in Azerbaijan and Iran. Still, it is only a matter of time before it becomes established in hatcheries producing Cyprinus carpio elsewhere. This species will invade all of West Asia, Europe, and North Africa, following the path of Pseudorasbora parva . Several species are confused under this name. The identity of the species introduced in the Western Palaearctic has yet to be investigated.

Further reading. Coad 2010a (biology, distribution); Vasil’eva et al. 2022 (East Asian diversity).