Updating Anaecypris hispanica distribution and conservation status in Portugal

Abstract

Anaecypris hispanica is a small and endangered cyprinid endemic restricted to the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Despite its conservation status, the last assessment of its distribution in Portugal was carried on in the late 1990s. Here, I use data collected through a standardized methodology between 2015 and 2021 to update the information on the main threats, distribution and abundance patterns of A. hispanica in Portugal. Results confirm the progressive decrease in the geographic range of the species, involving its disappearance from six sub-basins. The main threats for conservation of A. hispanica and other fish in the Guadiana basin are the same identified twenty years ago (i.e., over-abstraction of water, over-grazing and proliferation of exotic species). Conservation actions should be mainly focused on improving water management and should become priorities for the Guadiana Hydrographic Management Plan.