Pike Asp / Kashka / Pike Asp

Pike Asp

Status: 2 [CR: A]. Listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR in 1984. A rare species inhabiting the basins of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. In Kyrgyzstan, there have been no recorded catches in recent years. It may already be extinct. An endemic species of Central Asia with commercial significance.

Brief description of the adult form. Externally similar to asp, but has an elongated and flattened head from top to bottom, resembling that of a pike, which is how it got its name [1].

General distribution and in the country. Water bodies of Uzbekistan (Syrdarya River basin), Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. Very rare in Kyrgyzstan, noted in the Toktogul Reservoir and tributaries of the Naryn River.

Habitat. In rivers, prefers areas with murky water.

Population. Not recorded in recent years.

Life style (life cycles). Rheophilic. Spawning begins in January-February at a water temperature of +3.9°C. A predator, it feeds on small fish (daces, minnows) and bottom-dwelling invertebrates [9, 10]. Grows quickly under good conditions. Maximum age - 8 years, weight - 3 kg [9, 10].

Limiting factors. Poaching, regulation of river flows leading to disruption of conditions for migration, natural spawning, and fattening.

Breeding. Not conducted.

Existing conservation measures. Fishing ban.

Recommended conservation measures. Strict protection against poaching and adherence to the fishing ban during the spawning period. Additional research on distribution for the development of artificial restoration is also recommended.

Kashka

Pike Asp
Aspiolucius esocinus (Kessler)
Status: Category 2 [CR: A], critically endangered in Kyrgyzstan, locally distributed in Amudar-Syrdarya endemic representative of the monotypic relic genus. The species is naturally spread in the basins of the Amudarya and Syrdarya Rivers, was observed in the lower courses of the Kashkadarya and Zeravshan Rivers; in Kyrgyzstan it was registered in the Toktogul Water Reservoir and in tributaries of the Naryn River. This predatory fish (up to 3 kg in weight) is rheophilic, preferring muddy waters, feeding on daces and minnows as well as bottom-living invertebrates; reproductive age is 6-7 years, spawning time is January - February, fertility is 22-190 thousand eggs. The number in the country is extremely small, with no records over the last years. Limiting factors: poaching, destruction of the natural regime of river flows as a result of hydro-building. It is neither bred nor protected in Kyrgyzstan. It is necessary to prohibit poaching as well as any fishery during the spawning period; additional study of distribution for the elaboration of artificial rehabilitation is also recommended.