Artificial reproduction and larval ontogeny of Squalius lucumonis (Pisces, Cyprinidae), a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List

This study refers on the first exhaustive description of sensory organs and digestive apparatus during Squalius lucumonis ontogeny. No data are available in literature, at our knowledge, on larvae, juvenile and adult stages of this species. The observations were carried out on live and fixed (Scanning Electron Microscopy and histological examination) larvae and juveniles obtained from the first attempt of artificial reproduction, and on one wild adult. The obtained results could be of some interest for restocking aquaculture, particularly when the optimization of the larval rearing phase is concerned.