Loaches in a long term study of Drava River in Croatia

The diversity, species composition and structure of the fish community of Drava River were studied after impoundment in 1983. Over a period of eighteen years 23, 507 fish specimens were collected which includes 55 different fish species belonging to 16 families. The family Cobitidae is represented by two species: spined loach - Cobitis elongatoides and weather loach &#8211 ; ; ; Misgurnus fossilis, while the family Balitoridae is represented with stone loach - Barbatula barbatula. On eleven of seventeen investigated localities we recorded presence of Cobitidae family, while stone loach were found on six localities. In the studied fish community C. elongatoides is represented with 315 specimens (1.34 % of the total number of individuals), while B. barbatula is represented with 236 specimens (1.00 %). M. fossilis is a pretty rare species with just a seven individuals (0.03 %) caught in 18 years of study. While spined loach and stone loach were first caught in 1985, weather loach was first caught in 1996.