Vertical distribution of Cottus poecilopus Heckel, 1837 in streams of Tatra National Park in Poland

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Cottus poecilopus in the main streams of the Tatra National Park in Poland. Fishing research was conducted within the summer and in the autumn of 2014 for fourteen streams. The catches were made with pulse fishing device (IUP 4) wading up stream. During fishing caught fishes have been characterized and habitat has been characterized by noting the speed of the current, the presence of obstacles and hiding places for fish, width, type and size of the bottom substrate, the presence of wood and shade. The beginning and end of each transect was described by the geographic coordinates using a Garmin GPS device. Based on the geo graphical coordinates the project was created in GIS (using ArcMap software 9.3.1) and determined the amount of occurrence of fish above sea level. In the course of fishing three species of fish were found: Cottus poecilopus, Salmo trutta m. fario and Salvelinus fontinalis. In the studied streams Cottus gobio was not found. The most numerous Cottus poecilopus were represented, a total of 485 individuals in 12 streams. Stream Chochołowski Potok (1077.3 m above sea level) was the highest position where the genre occured.