| Alosa vistonica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Family: | Alosidae |
| Genus: | Alosa |
| Species: | †A. vistonica |
| Binomial name | |
| †Alosa vistonica Economidis &Sinis, 1986 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Alosa vistonica theThracian shad, is anextinctspecies ofshad, afreshwater fish in the familyAlosidae. It wasendemic to a single shallow lake,Lake Vistonida in northeastern Greece. It was officially declared extinct by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature in October 2024 as the species has not been recorded within its only known distribution since 1995.[1]
It was likely driven to extinction through pollution sewage and industrial effluents, destruction of spawning sites by agricultural development and increased salinity following the opening of a canal into the sea.[3]
A. vistonica reached a maximum length of 17 cm (SL). It is distinguished from other members of its genus entering freshwater of theMediterranean basin by having 78–97gill rakers and well-developed teeth on thepalatine andvomer, especially in juveniles.[3]
Alosa vistonica was first formallydescribed asAlosa caspia vistonica in 1986 byPanos Stavros Economidis andApostolos I. Sinis with itstype locality given as Lake Vistonida.[2] This species is now classified in the genusAlosa, which was proposed byJohann Heinrich Friedrich Link in 1797, within the family Alosidae in theorderClupeiformes, the herrings and related fishes.[4]
Alaosa vistonica belongs to the genusAlosa, a derivatuion ofalausa the Latin name forClupea alosa which is thetype species of the genus through absolutetautonymy. Thespecific name,vistonica, means "of Vistonis", meaning Lake Vistonida, the only place this fish was known to occur.[5]
