Some data upon the fish fauna from Carei Plain natural protected area obtained with herpetological methods.

We encountered 14 fish species in Carei Plain natural protected area, from which 10 were native and 4 were non native. Cobitis elongatoides and Misgurnus fossilis registered the highest frequency of occurrence and percentage abundance. Unlike the studies undertaken before in the region, our data emphasize a distinct aspect of the ichthyofauna, due to the fact that we used a net designed for capturing amphibians. This allowed us to investigate some habitats that are difficult to study with other methods. The species from the area are generally characteristic to small plain rivers, with abundant vegetation and sandy or muddy substratum. The presence of Umbra krameri and Carassius carassius is important, they being native species, characteristic to the habitats from the area. The waters from Carei Plain are man-modified or artificial. Thus the fish assemblages, although with many protected, ecologically or zoogeographically important species cannot present the aspect of the initial communities from the region. Due to the anthropic impact and to the drought from the past decade, it is expected that the ichthyofauna from the region will be even more affected in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]