Pelasgus epiroticus
Overview
Pelasgus epiroticus, the Epirote minnow or tsima, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related species. It is endemic to Lake Pamvotis in Greece. Due to the restricted range of the species as well as the significant loss its population has suffered since the early 1990s, it has been assessed as critically endangered, possibly extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Pelasgus epiroticus faces severe threats from water abstraction and dam construction that fragment its already limited river habitat in northwestern Greece and southern Albania. Agricultural runoff and urban pollution have degraded water quality in the few remaining suitable streams. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to any localized environmental changes or habitat modifications.
Habitat
This endemic cyprinid fish inhabits clear, fast-flowing streams and small rivers with rocky or gravel substrates in the mountainous regions of Epirus. It prefers well-oxygenated waters with moderate to strong currents in the upper and middle reaches of river systems.
