Zoogeographical freshwater divisions of the Caucasus as a part of the West Asian Transitional Region

A.M. Naseka

Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS, 2010, 314(4): 469–492 · https://doi.org/10.31610/trudyzin/2010.314.4.469

Full text

Abstract

The Caucasus, together with Anatolia, Mesopotamia, internal Iranian and Afghan drainages form a region of extremely high heterogeneity and transitional character between the “true” Holarctic, Sino-Indian and African regions sensu Berg (e.g. 1934, 1949). Its zoogeographical delineation is therefore of considerable interest. The goal of this study was to analyse zoogeographical affinities of the Caucasian ecoregions in terms of fish distribution and estimate the rank of the zoogeographical boundaries between the Caucasus and the drainages of north-eastern Europe (eastern Baltic, Dnieper, Don and Volga), and between the Caucasus and the Iranian basins. Based on a betadiversity index and cluster analyses of lists of taxa (over 500) by the ecoregions, it is shown that faunas of the true freshwater fishes of the Caucasus displays a clear boundary with the eastern Europe, and that the ecoregions of the Ciscaucasia and the Transcaucasia exhibit striking dissimilarities from each other and from the Middle East basins. The Caucasus and neighbouring drainages of the southern coasts of the Black and Caspian seas are merged into the Caucasian Province which is included into the West Asian Transitional Region sensu Banarescu (1991). The results also support delineation of six zoogeographical subdivisions, defined as districts of the Caucasian Province, namely, the West Ciscaucasian District, West Transcaucasian District, East Ciscaucasian District, East Transcaucasian District, the North Anatolian District, and Urmia District.

Key words

biogeography, Caucasian Province, distribution, ecoregions, freshwater fishes, palaeohydrography, West Asian Transitional Region

Submitted July 26, 2010 · Accepted October 1, 2010 · Published December 25, 2010

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