Romanichthys valsanicola is the scientific name of the fish known as the sculpin-perch, asprete, or Romanian darter, the only member of the Romanichthys genus of the fish family Percidae

Percidae

The Percidae are a family of perciform fish found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The family contains about 200 species in ten genera...

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It was scientifically discovered and described in 1957 by the Romanian scientists M. Dumitrescu, P. Bănărescu and N. Stoica. Local names include: asprete, poprete, sforete. Endemic to a very restricted area in southern Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, it was found in the upper reach of the Argeş

Arges River

Argeș is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraș Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Oltenița.The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti...

 river and in two of its tributaries: Râul Doamnei

Râul Doamnei

Râul Doamnei is a left tributary of the Argeş River . It is formed at the junction of headwaters Valea Rea and Zârna River...

 and Vâlsan

Valsan

Vâlsan is a main tributary of the Argeş River in Romania.The fish species Romanichthys valsanicola is endemic to this river....

. Due to hydrotechnical constructions and deterioration of its habitat, it survived only in the tributary Vâlsan. This species is an endangered freshwater fish and is found on the red list of IUCN. Its area of distribution has drastically diminished and is now considered the European fish genus with the most restricted area. A Romanian NGO is working to preserve this species with the financial support of the Regional Environmental Center.

Biology

It is a small, grey-brownish fish, 10-12 cm long, covered with small, rough scales. The time of reproduction is in May and June. It lays eggs on rocks. It feeds on insect aquatic larvae, mainly Plecoptera

Plecoptera

Plecoptera are an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. There are some 3,500 described species worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica...

, Trichoptera

Trichoptera

The caddisflies are an order, Trichoptera, of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. Also called sedge-flies or rail-flies, they are small moth-like insects having two pairs of hairy membranous wings...

 and Ephemeroptera.