Aral Catfish / Tenge Fish / Aral Barbel
Aral Barbel
Status: 2 [CR: C]. Species extinct in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the adult form. Differs from the Turkestan barbel by its silvery body color, dark on the back, with a smooth transition from the dark coloration on the back to silvery on the belly [1]. The paired fins are gray. The scales are smaller than those of the Turkestan barbel. It reaches a length of 90 cm and a weight of 22.5 kg [8, 10].
Distribution overall and in the country. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan (where it is listed as a protected species), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. Bordering areas of the Chu River with Kazakhstan. The only representative of the species in Kyrgyzstan.
Habitat. Lowland sections of rivers, lower reaches of the Chu River, channels, and flowing lakes.
Population. Has always been rare, only during the spawning period did it rise in insignificant numbers up to the town of Tokmak and then rolled back down after spawning.
Life style (life cycles). Reaches sexual maturity at 4 years, with a fecundity of individuals weighing 8 kg being 180,000 eggs. Spawning is stretched from the end of April to the beginning of June [10]. Feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates (mollusks, insect larvae, and young fish of other species). Grows slower in the Chu River than in the Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash. Due to its small population, it was not fished commercially and was only occasionally caught by amateur fishermen [8].
Limiting factors. Construction of the Tashatkul Reservoir on the Chu River, fishing during the spawning period.
Breeding. Not conducted.
Existing conservation measures. None taken.
Recommended conservation measures. Not feasible, as the species has completely disappeared within Kyrgyzstan. Preparation of a biological justification for reacclimatization in the water bodies of the Chu Valley.
Tenge Balyk
Aral Barbel
Barbus brachycephalus Kessler
Status: Category 2 [CR: C], extinct in Kyrgyzstan, locally distributed Aral endemic subspecies of Aral-Caspian species, one of two congeners in the fauna of the country. The subspecies was naturally distributed in the Amudarya River (in the past), Kashkadarya, Zeravshan, Syrdarya, and Chu Rivers; in Kyrgyzstan, it is known from the Chu River in the past. This is a large fish, up to 90 cm in length and 22.5 kg in weight, feeding on bottom-living invertebrates and young fish; spawning time is from the end of April to the beginning of June. The age of reproductive ability is 4 years, with a fecundity of individuals weighing 8 kg being 180,000 eggs. It has always been rare in the country, and sometimes spawners were observed upstream of Tokmak town in insignificant numbers. Limiting factors include the construction of the Tashat-Kul Weir and fishing during the spawning period. It was not a fishery species in Kyrgyzstan due to its small number. Neither bred nor protected. It is recommended to reacclimatize this species in water reservoirs in the Chu Valley.
