Pearl Mullet

İnci kefali
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Genus:	Chalcalburnus
Species:	C. tarichi
Binomial name
Chalcalburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814) (Pallas, 1811)
Synonyms
Alburnus tarichi, Pearl Mullet

The İnci kefali (Chalcalburnus tarichi), also known as the Pearl Mullet, is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. It is found only in Turkey, where it is the only fish known to inhabit Lake Van.

The Pearl Mullet is the jewel of Lake Van in Turkey. Found nowhere else in the world, this fish thrives in the lake's salty and carbonated waters,^[1] which are inhospitable to other forms of fresh-water and marine fish. In May and June of each year the Pearl Mullet travels upstream through the lake's tributaries to lay eggs, flying through the air like salmon. And there lies the problem.

Many locals have become accustomed to the ease of sticking out bags and catching troves of fish as they jump out of the water. They catch so many Pearl Mullets in May-June that they don't have to fish for the rest of the year. And locals prefer to catch the fish during reproduction season, when the females are filled with eggs, which are considered a delicacy.

This is also the best recipe for killing off the species. Despite a government ban on fishing during reproduction season, this kind of fishing has become a big business. In the 1960s only 600 tons of Pearl Mullets were harvested annually; today that figure has jumped to 15,000 tons.

Other taxonomic names for this species include Alburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Alburnus timarensis (Kuru, 1980), Chalcalburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), Cyprinus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814), and Leuciscus vanensis (Günther, 1868).^[2]

Notes

References

1. ^ "İnci kefali göç ediyor, Van şenleniyor" (in Turkish). Cumhuriyet Newspaper. 2009. http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?im=yhs&hn=61878. Retrieved 2009-08-25. 
2. ^ Synonyms of Alburnus tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814) Fishbase

External links

• Informations and Images www.incikefali.net
• World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Chalcalburnus tarichi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.
• Turkey - Sustainable Fishing and Consumption of Pearl Mullet[1]

This Leuciscinae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: IUCN Red List data deficient species Leuciscinae Turkish words and phrases Leuciscinae stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая? Chalboribbang Chalcamistis Look at other dictionaries: Mullet — may refer to: Contents 1 Fish 2 Places 3 Other 4 See als …   Wikipedia Lake Van — Infobox lake lake name = Lake Van image lake = Van golu.jpg caption lake = From space, September 1996 (top of image is roughly northwest) image bathymetry = caption bathymetry = location = coords = coord|38|38|N|42|49|E|region:TR… …   Wikipedia List of fishes of India — This is a list of the fish species found in India and is based on FishBase. [Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2006.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. [http://www.fishbase.org] , version (05/2006)] AlbuliformesAlbulidae… …   Wikipedia Niihau — Niʻihau The Forbidden Isle Aerial view of Niʻihau looking southwestward from the north …   Wikipedia List of fish common names — This is a list of fish common names. While some common names refer to a single species or family, others have been used for a confusing variety of different types; the articles listed here should explain the possibilities if the name is ambiguous …   Wikipedia List of heraldic charges — This article does not cover those charges which derive their shape in part from that of the field; see Ordinary (heraldry). Subordinary chargesA few simple charges are traditionally, and arbitrarily, classified among the subordinaries. (All other …   Wikipedia Tom Gorai — (born December 1962) is an award winning American film producer. Biography Gorai was born in Seattle, Washington. A graduate of Vassar College with a degree in Philosophy and Film, Tom Gorai [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0329753/ Tom Gorai ] ] is …   Wikipedia Oyster — For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). Crassostrea gigas from the Marennes Oléron basin in France The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The… …   Wikipedia Robby Stewart — Hannah Montana character name = Robby Ray Stewart caption = Robby and his daughter, Miley first = Lilly, Do You Want to Know a Secret? last = episode = All cause = nickname = The Honkytonk Heart Throb Dr. Phil Billy (by himself and Jackson) Old… …   Wikipedia Abalone — For board game, see Abalone (board game). Abelone redirects here. For the wine grape that is also known as Abelone, see Chasselas. Abalone Living abalone in tank showing epipodium and tentacles, anterior end to the right …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”