El barb roig (Phoxinus Phoxinus L.), un ciprínid introduït als estanys de Malniu (Cerdanya, Pirineu Oriental)

Abstract

Ichthyologically. Catalunya is characterized by a poorly developed freshwater fish fauna. For this reason, introductions of exotics have a special importance in the freshwater fish in its entirety. Within these exotics we found the minnow Phoxinus phoxinus. Sorne authors suggested that this species has been occurring naturally in the Ebro drainage (Catalunya) and sorne Cantabric rivers (N Spain) but this question is stil1 controversia!. Its introduction in catalonian drainages and water bodies has be en huge, so that its probable initial distribution is considered non-significant compared with its actual spreading. In this work, a population of P. phoxinus introduced in a Pyrenees' glacier lake ("Llac Sec") is described. Comparing this population with the detailed description given by Chen (996), no differential characters, meristics and morphometrics are found except that of dwarfism (mean SL 60 mm versus the 80-125 mm described). Also, following the everlasting discussion about the best length measurement, it is concluded that in this species, TL, (total length) obtains better regressions coefficient than SL (standard length) and is the recommendable length measurement.