146
Fishes of Mongolia
Concomitant to discussion of the HA lakes of
Mongolia, it could be useful to discuss briefl y the
ichthyofauna of Mongolia.
Many fi sh species of Mongolia show great
adaptability to a variety of environments. The
same species may inhabit both warm and cold
waters, fresh and saline, and breed in rivers and
lakes. In some species this has led to intraspecifi c
differentiation. The highest number of fi sh species and subspecies (43) inhabits waterbodies of
eastern Mongolia (43), followed by the catchment of the Selenga (22). Waterbodies of the
landlocked Central Asian Internal Basin of
Mongolia harbour only 8 species. The total
number of fi sh species and subspecies in
waterbodies of Mongolia is 64. They belong
to eleven families: Petromyzonidae (1 species),
Acipenseridae (2), Salmonidae (2), Coregonidae
(5), Thymallidae (4), Esocidae (2), Cyprinidae
(41), Siluridae (1), Gadidae (1), Percidae (1) and
Cottidae (4).
Mongolian fi sh fauna forms six distinct faunistic groups, namely, (a) the Arctic group
includes Salmonidae, Coregonidae and Gadidae;
(b) the boreal fl atland complex includes
Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Cobitidae, Percidae and
Cottidae; (c) the boreal submontane group
includes Thymallidae and several genera of
the Salmonidae; (d) the faunistic group of the
Asian mountain subregion includes Altai osmans;
(e) the old Tertiary complex includes fi sh of the
preglacial era, e.g . Gobio gobio , Pseudaspius
leptocephalus and Rhodeus sericeus ; and (f) the
fi sh fauna of eastern Mongolia is related to that of
the upper Amur and that of the Lake Dalai Nur
basin. Fish fauna of this lake includes two
endemic genera, each represented by a single
species, Mesocottus haetej and Pseudaspius leptocephalus , and by four endemic species, Esox
reicherti , Acipenser schrencki , Coregonus chadary , Hemiculter leuciscus warpachowskii , etc.
Further, two species of sturgeon inhabit waters of
Mongolia: Amur sturgeon ( Acipenser schrenckii )
and Siberian Baikal sturgeon ( Acipenser baerii
baicalensis ).
Some more information could be obtained
from Shatunovsky ( 1983 ) and Travers ( 1989 ).
Present Status of Fisheries in Mongolia
Earlier, the minimum annual fi sh catch from
Mongolian waters was 1,854 t. Fishery statistics
(FAO 1997 ) for years 1986–1991 show a decline
from 412 to 100 t.
Lake Ugiy in the catchment of the Orhon
River has had organised fi shery since 1938. Fish
catches vary considerably. In recent years, they
have been 50–60 t year
−1
. Some of the fi shes captured are roach, perch, pike, ide, Siberian dace,
burbot, Amur wild carp and catfi sh. Further, there
seems to be a commercial fi shery on Lake
Hovsgol Nuur, where lenok and Arctic grayling
are the most highly prized fi sh, followed by
roach, perch and burbot. Tomilov and Dashdorzh
( 1965 ) and Tugarina ( 1976 ) estimated the highest
sustainable annual catch from this lake to be
200–400 t.
Waterbodies with Outlets Towards the Pacifi c
Ocean
These are located in eastern Mongolia. Lake
Buyr, shared by Mongolia and China, had, in the
past, an important commercial fi shery. It harbours >40 species of fi sh, including the commercially valuable Amur wild carp, Amur catfi sh,
Amur pike, taimen, lenok, fl athead asp, Chinese
carps, crucian carp, ide and Mongolian redfi n.
Commercial fi shery has been practised on this
lake for about 50 years but a clear sign of overfi shing is evident from the recent decline in fi sh
catches. The most common species in catches are
Amur wild carp, Amur pike, Mongolian redfi n
and Amur.
Central Asian Internal Basin is the largest of
the three regions. It covers c 65 % of Mongolia
and contains c 32 % of its water resources. Some
of the commercially important lakes are Hoton,
Horgon, Dayan, Tolbo, Achit, Bayan, Heh, Har
and Har Us, with 70–80 % of all Mongolian
stocks of Altai osman and 20–30 % of Arctic
grayling. Also of importance are lakes Orog,
Sangiin Dalai, Boon Tsagaan, Orog, etc.
There is no organised fi shery in the waterbodies of the Central Asian Internal Basin. Stock
assessment surveys revealed Lake Har 200 t year
1 ,
Lake Nogoon 16 t year
1 , Lake Durgun 230 t year
1
and so on. Altai osman would be the dominant
6 Lakes of the World
Fishes of Mongolia
Concomitant to discussion of the HA lakes of
Mongolia, it could be useful to discuss briefl y the
ichthyofauna of Mongolia.
Many fi sh species of Mongolia show great
adaptability to a variety of environments. The
same species may inhabit both warm and cold
waters, fresh and saline, and breed in rivers and
lakes. In some species this has led to intraspecifi c
differentiation. The highest number of fi sh species and subspecies (43) inhabits waterbodies of
eastern Mongolia (43), followed by the catchment of the Selenga (22). Waterbodies of the
landlocked Central Asian Internal Basin of
Mongolia harbour only 8 species. The total
number of fi sh species and subspecies in
waterbodies of Mongolia is 64. They belong
to eleven families: Petromyzonidae (1 species),
Acipenseridae (2), Salmonidae (2), Coregonidae
(5), Thymallidae (4), Esocidae (2), Cyprinidae
(41), Siluridae (1), Gadidae (1), Percidae (1) and
Cottidae (4).
Mongolian fi sh fauna forms six distinct faunistic groups, namely, (a) the Arctic group
includes Salmonidae, Coregonidae and Gadidae;
(b) the boreal fl atland complex includes
Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Cobitidae, Percidae and
Cottidae; (c) the boreal submontane group
includes Thymallidae and several genera of
the Salmonidae; (d) the faunistic group of the
Asian mountain subregion includes Altai osmans;
(e) the old Tertiary complex includes fi sh of the
preglacial era, e.g . Gobio gobio , Pseudaspius
leptocephalus and Rhodeus sericeus ; and (f) the
fi sh fauna of eastern Mongolia is related to that of
the upper Amur and that of the Lake Dalai Nur
basin. Fish fauna of this lake includes two
endemic genera, each represented by a single
species, Mesocottus haetej and Pseudaspius leptocephalus , and by four endemic species, Esox
reicherti , Acipenser schrencki , Coregonus chadary , Hemiculter leuciscus warpachowskii , etc.
Further, two species of sturgeon inhabit waters of
Mongolia: Amur sturgeon ( Acipenser schrenckii )
and Siberian Baikal sturgeon ( Acipenser baerii
baicalensis ).
Some more information could be obtained
from Shatunovsky ( 1983 ) and Travers ( 1989 ).
Present Status of Fisheries in Mongolia
Earlier, the minimum annual fi sh catch from
Mongolian waters was 1,854 t. Fishery statistics
(FAO 1997 ) for years 1986–1991 show a decline
from 412 to 100 t.
Lake Ugiy in the catchment of the Orhon
River has had organised fi shery since 1938. Fish
catches vary considerably. In recent years, they
have been 50–60 t year
−1
. Some of the fi shes captured are roach, perch, pike, ide, Siberian dace,
burbot, Amur wild carp and catfi sh. Further, there
seems to be a commercial fi shery on Lake
Hovsgol Nuur, where lenok and Arctic grayling
are the most highly prized fi sh, followed by
roach, perch and burbot. Tomilov and Dashdorzh
( 1965 ) and Tugarina ( 1976 ) estimated the highest
sustainable annual catch from this lake to be
200–400 t.
Waterbodies with Outlets Towards the Pacifi c
Ocean
These are located in eastern Mongolia. Lake
Buyr, shared by Mongolia and China, had, in the
past, an important commercial fi shery. It harbours >40 species of fi sh, including the commercially valuable Amur wild carp, Amur catfi sh,
Amur pike, taimen, lenok, fl athead asp, Chinese
carps, crucian carp, ide and Mongolian redfi n.
Commercial fi shery has been practised on this
lake for about 50 years but a clear sign of overfi shing is evident from the recent decline in fi sh
catches. The most common species in catches are
Amur wild carp, Amur pike, Mongolian redfi n
and Amur.
Central Asian Internal Basin is the largest of
the three regions. It covers c 65 % of Mongolia
and contains c 32 % of its water resources. Some
of the commercially important lakes are Hoton,
Horgon, Dayan, Tolbo, Achit, Bayan, Heh, Har
and Har Us, with 70–80 % of all Mongolian
stocks of Altai osman and 20–30 % of Arctic
grayling. Also of importance are lakes Orog,
Sangiin Dalai, Boon Tsagaan, Orog, etc.
There is no organised fi shery in the waterbodies of the Central Asian Internal Basin. Stock
assessment surveys revealed Lake Har 200 t year
1 ,
Lake Nogoon 16 t year
1 , Lake Durgun 230 t year
1
and so on. Altai osman would be the dominant
6 Lakes of the World