Alburnus belvica

The Belica, <em>Alburnus belvica</em>, is a small freshwater fish in the family Leuciscidae, native to the Ohrid Lake basin in the western Balkans, a region of exceptional ichthyological diversity and endemism. Lake Ohrid, shared between North Macedonia and Albania, is one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes and harbors numerous endemic species. <em>Alburnus belvica</em> is a slender, silvery fish with the characteristic laterally compressed body and subterminal to slightly upturned mouth typical of bleaks. It likely inhabits the open-water and littoral zones of the lake, forming schools and feeding on surface invertebrates, zooplankton, and small aquatic insects. Specimens can reach a maximum recorded length of approximately 15.0 cm. Details of habitat and range for this species remain limited in the ichthyological literature beyond its known association with the Ohrid basin. The species has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. Lake Ohrid faces increasing pressures from tourism, eutrophication, and habitat disturbance, making research and monitoring of its endemic fish fauna, including this species, of considerable conservation importance.