FREDIE Expedition to Greece 2011

Fieldwork is the real fun in the project FREDIE and it was a fantastic opportunity to go to Greece in late 2011. Together with Greek friends and colleagues Roberta Barbieri, Maria Stoumboudi and Eleni Kalogianni we visited almost all species of Greek freshwater fishes at home.

With the ZFMK minibus, we took the ferry from Ancona to Igoumenitza and strolled all around Greece for 12 day. Very nice weather, low water levels and experienced colleagues made the expedition to a read success.

The fish fauna of Western Greece was known to me only from preserved materials. Therefore. it was a great pleasure to see, for the first time, species as both Tropidophoxinellus, Luciobarbus albanicus and L. graecus, fantastic Telestes beoticus and curious stuff as Economidichthys, the small Silurus aristotelis, cool predatory Scardinius graecus and wonderful Cobitis. Other highlights was a full metamorphosed Caspiomyzon hellenicus and catching Punigitius hellenicus out of very small springs in the fields.

Telestes beoticus from the Kiffisos drainage

Pungitius hellenicus from Sperchios drainage

Cobitis hellenica from Kampi spring

Cobitis meridionalis from Prespa Lake

Greece is inhabited by so many nice endemic species! Fishing as well as just to be there was such a pleasure! Many habitats from wild upper Aos to Mediterranean type streams on Evia are of exceptional beauty. Human impact are low to moderate and it was usually no problem to find the demanded species. This fieldtrip was a real success.