More Salmonid fish species carried by flood water: The caspian trout, Salmo caspius Kessler, 1877 in Shatt Al-Arab River, Iraq

Abstract

During the 1st quarter of 2019, the northern and middle parts of Iraq received a huge amount of rain due to a harsh storm. The Iraqi cities affected are those located on the tributaries of the river Tigris. The heavy rain also affected the western region of Iran adjacent to Iraq. The resultant flood and wind seemed to have destroyed the aquaculture facilities in Iran and caused an escape of fish of different age groups. This study reports on the presence of one specimen of Salmo caspius apparently swept away by the flood into the river at Shatt Al-Arab, Basrah, south Iraq. Further researches are needed to check whether S. caspius has adapted to the new environment of the Shatt al-Arab River.