Caspian Sea 2011

2010

A small group of Cumaceans is found in the Caspian Sea; there are only 17 species from the family Pseudocumidae. Most are distributed in all parts of the Sea and are the preferred food for some bottom feeding fish, especially bream. Six species are endemic to the Caspian Sea. Amphipods are diverse and numerous. They are one of the preferred foods for all bottom feed- ing fish. There are 80 species - 39 being endemic species. Their distribution is scattered, with high density in some areas. Isopods are represented by only two species. Both species are common in the Central and South Caspian Sea, but they are not plentiful. Decapods are represented by only five species and three of these are exotic species. Two crayfish are aborigines of the Caspian Basin. Two species of shrimps were introduced from the Black Sea

in the 1930s. One crab species ( Rhithropanopeus harrisii ) was introduced from the Atlantic via the Black Sea in the 1950s. All species can be found throughout the Caspian Sea, particularly along the eastern coast of the Central Caspian Sea.

Only two species of marine mites are found in the Caspian Sea. Little is known about these species.

No water insects (beetles and bugs) are found in the Caspian Sea, but are numerous in delta areas. The larva of dragonflies and dipterans have been identified, mostly near deltas. Only two species are found in the open sea — Chironomus albidus and Clunio marinus.

Mollusks in the Caspian Sea have a small num- ber of genera, but a very high number of species.

Bivalves are not diverse but have very high bio- mass due to their size. Many are freshwater spe-

C e rcl

iq u e

0°

20° W

40° E

60° E

20° E

30° e p ola ire ar How the comb jelly ( Mnemiopsis leidyi) is spreading in the European seas 10° 10° 60° N e ar ct

Cercle po lair

ctiq ue

B A R E N T S S E A

0° N

Altitudes in metres

I S L A N D E

1,000 2,000 3,000

WHITE SEA

NORWEGIAN SEA

F I N L A N D E

0 200 500

VOLGA-BALTIC CANAL

Helsinki

N O R V й G E

Oslo

R U S S I E

Main sea transport routes Area of spread of the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi

Volga

Saint Petersburg

Kazan

Stockholm

E S T O N I E

NORTH SEA

Tallinn

50° N

0° N

Samara

BALTIC SEA

Moscow

I R L A N D E

D A N E M A R K

Riga

L I T U A N I E

Copenhagen

K A Z A K H S TA N

R U S S I E

MINS K

ARAL SEA

Volga

B I Г L O R U S S I E

Kaliningrad

PAY S - B A S

VOLGA-DON CANAL

ATLANTIC OCEAN

B E L G I Q U E

Don

P O L O G N E

Atyrau

ENGLISH CHANNEL

Volgograd

A L L E M A G N E

O U Z B Г K I S TA N

U K R A I N E

Г TAT T C H й Q U E

Volga

Г TAT S L O VA Q U E

Rostov- on-Don

Astrakhan

F R A N C E

BRATISLAVA

Don

MO L D AV I E

230 5

CHISINA U

A U T R I C H E

S U I S S E

Aktau

H O N G R I E

LJUBLJAN

SLOVГNI E

T U R K M Г N I S TA N

C R O AT I E ZAGRE B

I TA L I E

R O U M A N I E

SEA OF AZOV

BELGRADE

CASPIAN

B O S N I E - H E R Z Г G O V I N E

G E O R G I E

40° N

A Z E R B A м

Novorossiisk

MONACO

P O R T U G A L

S A I N T - M A R I N

A R M Г N I E

S E R B I E

ANDORRE

Turkmenbashi

B U L G A R I E Odessa Sevastopol

Sumgait

0° N

E S PA G N E

MONTГNГGRO

T U R Q U I E B L A C K S E A

V A T I C A N

PODGORI CA

Baku

SKOPJ E

TIRAN A

SEA

A L B A N I E

I R A N

Corsica

ADRIATIC SEA

Bosphorus Istanbul

Balearic Islands

G R й

Tehran

Sardinia

Dardanelles

M A R O C Gibraltar

S Y R I E

30° N

A L G Г R I E

AEGAN SEA

30° N

I R A K

CHYPR

L I B A N

T U N I S I E

M A LT E

50°

10°

10°

Sicily

Athens

A L G Г R I E

K OW E I T

A R A B I E

20°E M E D I T E R R A N E A N S E A

0° MAP BY PHILIPPE REKACEWICZ Source: Finnish Environment Institute website, accessed on June 2010.

40°E

0

1 000 km

500

59