Save the Blue Heart of Europe - A campaign for the protection of Balkan Rivers
Prespa barbel
© Spase Shumka
The Prespa barbel was thought to be endemic to Lake Prespa, but now many authors report that it is more widely spread in the southwestern Balkans and perhaps synonymous with B. rebeli populations from the Shkumbini, Semani, Vjosa and Dukati drainages in Albania (Marková et al. 2010). For the purposes of this report, we treat Prespa barbel as a species, and report the distribution of B. rebeli separately. In Lake Prespa, they reach 240 mm SL (Kottelat & Freyhof 2007). Prespa barbel are reported to spawn over springs or gravely shorelines in Lake Prespa (Kottelat & Freyhof 2007).
Three hydropower schemes in the Agios Germanos (Ayros) drainage in Greece could threaten spawning habitat there, along with that of Prespa barbell and Prespa trout.
- IUCN-Redlist Vulnerable
- EUR-HAB-DIR ---
- Bern Convention ---
- Hydropower Sensitivity High
- Balkan Dam Threat * High
* The assessment of Balkan Dam Threat is based on the loss of habitat that would occur if all or most of the planned hydropower schemes in the distribution range of the species were to be built. For more precise specification see Fish Study, page 8.