biology

Scardinius graecus

Scardinius graecus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Scardinius graecus rather than just read about it. In short: Scardinius graecus, the Greek rudd or Yliki rudd, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related fishes. This species is endemic to Central Greece.

Key takeaways

Scardinius graecus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Scardinius graecus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Scardinius graecus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Scardinius graecus, the Greek rudd or Yliki rudd, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related fishes. This species is endemic to Central Greece.

Taxonomy Scardinius graecus was first formally described in 1937 by the Greek ichthyologist Alexander I. Stephanidis with its type locality given as Lake Yliki near Thebes in Greece. This species belongs to the genus Scardinius, commonly referred to as rudds, which belongs to the subfamily Leuciscinae of the family Leuciscidae.

Etymology Scardinius graecus belongs to the genus Scardinius and this name is thought to be a latinisation of scardafa, a vernacular name in Italy, Rome in particular, for the Tiber rudd (Scardinius scardafa). The Specific name, graecus, means "Greece", the country this fish is endemic to.

Description Scardinius graecus may de told apart from other Balkan rudd species by having between 38 and 43 scales along its lateral line; the anal fin typically has 11+1⁄2 branched fin rays; there are between 14 and 18 pectoral fin rays; 17 to 24 gill rakers; the dorsal profile of the head is clearly concave, the snout with its tip level with the centre of the eye; the eye is close to the dorsal profile of the head in lateral view; the articulation of lower jaw is in below or behind of the middle of the eye; and the length of the head is equivalent to 24 to 35% of the standard length. The Greek rudd has a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in), although 25 cm (9.8 in) is more typical.

Distribution and habitat Scardinius graecus is endemic to Boeotia in central Greece, being a remnant of the fish fauna that was found in Lake Copais which was drained in the 19th Century. Their modern distribution is in the drainage system of the Cephissus (Boeotia) River including Lakes Yliki and Paralimni. It has also been introduced in to the reservoirs at Beletsi and Marathon. In lakes the Greek rudd is mainly found in the pelagic zone.

Conservation Scardinius graecus is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The threats to this species include water abstraction, pollution and climate change.

References

Sources Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Scardinius graecus". FishBase.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Scardinius graecus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Scardinius graecus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Scardinius graecus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Scardinius graecus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Scardinius graecus

In research: Scardinius graecus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Scardinius graecus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Scardinius graecus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Endemic fauna of Greece, Fish described in 1937, Habitats Directive species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Scardinius graecus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Scardinius graecus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Scardinius graecus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Scardinius graecus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Scardinius graecus in simple terms?

Why does Scardinius graecus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Scardinius graecus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Scardinius graecus.