| Alburnus arborella | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Leuciscidae |
| Subfamily: | Leuciscinae |
| Genus: | Alburnus |
| Species: | A. arborella |
| Binomial name | |
| Alburnus arborella | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Alburnus arborella, thealborella orItalian bleak, is a species of freshwater fish in the familyLeuciscidae, which includes the daces. minnows and related fishes This fish is found in northern Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Slovenia and Croatia.
Alburnus arborella was first formallydescribed asAspius arborella in 1841 by the Frenchbiologist andart collectorCharles Lucien Bonaparte with itstype locality given as the lakes of northern Italy. This taxon has been regarded as a subspecies of thecommon bleak (A. alburnus) but is now regarded as a valid species.[3] The genusAlburnus is classified within thesubfamilyLeuciscinae of the family Leuciscidae.[4]
Alburnus arborella belongs to the genusAlburnus a name derived from theLatin forwhitefish but it also refers to thebleak, a name which means pale in English, in reference to the pale non lustrous colour ofA. alburnus. Thespecific name,arborella, is thought to be a misspelling ofalborella, theItalian common name for this fish.[5]
Alburnus arborella is distinguished from related species around theAdriatic Sea by having the origin of theanal fin immediately to the underneath the 4th to 8th brancheddorsal fin rays. The anal fin has between 13 and16+1⁄2. The ventral keel is exposed and is partially or completely scaled. In life there is a faint stripe along thelateral line and this becomes more distinct in preserved specimens. Thepectoral fin does not extend as far as the base of thepelvic fin. The mouth is upward pointing. This species has a maximumstandard length is 12.7 cm (5.0 in).[6]
Alburnus arborella isendemic to rivers which drain into the northern part of theAdriatic Sea from theChienti drainage basin inMarche toIstria, there is an isolated population in theZrmanja bain in Croatia. This fish has been introduced other parts of Italy, including northern Sardinia, and Croatia. The alborella can be found in a wide range of aquatic habitats from large subalpine lakes to lowland rivers and small streams. It is also found in anthropogenic habitats such as reservoirs and canalised rivers.[1]
