Fish fauna

The fauna of the Nera Park is rich and diverse, closely linked to the river’s ecosystem.

Numerous species, such as the Mediterranean strain of brown trout and crawfish, are found in the clear waters of the Nera River and its tributaries. Indigenous fish of great interest include the roach, the Tiber River barbel and the stickleback, which is particularly rare in Umbria. In addition, the park is home to threatened species such as the Apennine’s yellow-bellied toad and Appenine frog, which are a priority for conservation.

The Nera basin is classified according to the Fish Map as a Salmonoid environment (Upper and Lower Trout Zone), that is, an elective habitat for typical representatives of the trout family.

There are 20 fish species present: 
11 indigenous (55%), 
9 introduced (45%).

Brown trout is the most frequent species (70.5% of the stations). Chub (11.4%) and roach (6.7%) are fairly common.

Brown trout, the most common species in the waters of the Nera River basin, are present in all stretches of water with the exception of the downstream segments of the Velino, the Nera River and the Serra stream. Alongside brown trout (Salmo trutta Linneaus), other species are found in limited numbers: rainbow trout (Oncorhinchus mykiss), vairone (Leuciscus souffia muticellus), bullhead (Cottus gobio) and stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), the latter being particularly rare. The number of brown trout in the areas bordering the Nera and Velino Rivers is negatively influenced by the poor quality of the water. The presence of brown trout has been confirmed in all areas except the section of the Nera River from Maratta to Narni. Marble trout has been introduced and its presence is sporadic in the Nera River basin, with one specimen having been caught in the Velino River, upstream of the Piediluco Lake effluent, probably from the repopulation thereof in the Rieti section of the Velino River.

La carta ittica del bacino del fiume Nera