FISHES OF POLANA MOUNTAIN STREAMS

During an ichthyological exploration of the Polana Protected Landscape area in October 1992 and June 1993 thirty five sites were studied on 9 flows. The localities were generally of a mountainous and sub-mounta inous character and the flows were all natural, except for some short regulated stretches. Using electrofishing, 2,125 specimens representin g 12 fish species from 6 families, were caught. Dominance, frequency, indices of diversity and equitability and faunistic similarity were de scribed. Species richness was relatively low, corresponding with strea m order and character of flows. Typical mountain creeks were dominated by Salmo trutta, morpha fario and Cottus poecilopus, though populatio ns of S. trutta, m. fario, as well as Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salvelinus fontinalis and Thymallus thymallus, were supported by stocking. Other species, however, were able to maintain their populations by natural r eproduction. Barbus meridionalis petenyi and Alburnoides bipunctatus c an be considered as rare species in this area.