''Pelasgus stymphalicus'', also known as the dáska or stymphalia minnow, is a threatened species of small

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...

. It is a short-lived species, and reaches a maximum length of 12 cm. ''P. stymphalicus'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to slow-flowing rivers and wetlands in the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

and disjunctly in

Lake Stymphalia Lake Stymphalia (Greek: Λίμνη Στυμφαλία - ''Límnē Stymphalía'') is located in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese, in Corinthia, southern Greece. It is a closed karst basin with a wetland area and an agrarian area. The lake ...

, a natural eutrophic lake without surface drainage. The main threats to ''P. stymphalicus'' are

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

water extraction Water extraction (or water withdrawal) is the process of taking water from any source, either temporarily or permanently, for flood control or to obtain water for, for example, irrigation. The extracted water could also be used as drinking wate ...

and

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

, although the species is resilient and well-adapted to unstable conditions. It is protected under Appendix II of the EU's Habitats Directive (1992) and under Appendix III of the Bern Convention, (1982).Bern Convention, 1982
/ref>

References

*Economidis, P.S., 1995, Endangered freshwater fishes of Greece., Biological Conservation, 72, 201-211 *Crivelli, A.J., 1996. The freshwater fish endemic to the Mediterranean region. An action plan for their conservation.. Tour du Valat Publication, 171 p. *Early development of Pseudophoxinus stymphalicus (Cyprinidae) from lake Trichonis, Greece Daoulas C. ; Psarras T. ; Barbieri T - Seliki R. ; Economou A. N. ; Cybium (Cybium) ISSN 0399-0974, 1995

External links

Eschmeyer database ''Pseudophoxinus stymphalicus''

Hellenic Ministry for Environment: Limni Stymfalia

Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes Pelasgus (fish) Fish described in 1844 {{Leuciscinae-stub