The Status of the Twaite Shad, Alosa agone, in Italy and the Western Balkans

Abstract. The twaite shad, Alosa agone , is still quite common in Italy and the western Balkans, but locally is endangered or extinct. Two eco-phenotypes are recognized: the migratory'Cheppia'or'Laccia'and the landlocked'Agone'. The two forms have never been in contact, at least in Italy. The migratory form is more endangered since barriers and dams prevent it from reaching upstream spawning grounds. A few reproductive communities are documented, e. g. in the Po River in Italy and Neretva River in Croatia. Resident stocks have increased to substantial populations in the large lakes of Italy, especially in the last ten years, probably as a result of improved water quality. The landlocked form from northern Italy was successfully introduced into lakes of central Italy about 75 years ago. In Sardinia a population derived from the migratory form was established about 80 years ago in the artificial Lake Omodeo. In Croatia the'Cheppia'seems to live only in the lower course of the Neretva River. In Montenegro,'Cheppia'and'Agone'live in sympatry in Lake Skadar, but a dam built in 1960 caused a strong decline of both forms. The twaite shad is a very variable species, able to modify its morphology and biology according to its adaptation to freshwater or marine biotopes. In the Mediterranean area, only one taxon should be then recognized, Alosa agone (Scopoli, 1786). This will replace Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803), a taxon described from the Atlantic drainage area which seems to be distinct from Mediterranean populations. A survey of the distribution of reproductive communities of the migrating form in the Mediterranean area must be carried out.