Alburnus macedonicus

The Macedonian bleak, <em>Alburnus macedonicus</em>, is a small freshwater fish in the family Leuciscidae, endemic to river systems in the Macedonia region of the Balkan Peninsula. This area hosts a rich and often highly endemic freshwater fish fauna, and several bleak species are restricted to individual river drainages. <em>Alburnus macedonicus</em> is a slender, laterally compressed fish with a silvery body and a small upturned mouth, well adapted for feeding near the water surface. It likely inhabits the flowing freshwaters of rivers and streams in its native Macedonian range, favoring moderately clear, well-oxygenated waters. Specimens can reach a maximum recorded length of approximately 13.9 cm. The species likely feeds on surface insects, small aquatic invertebrates, and zooplankton. Details of habitat and range for this species remain limited in the ichthyological literature beyond its known Macedonian distribution. Its conservation status has not been formally assessed by the IUCN. Given the endemic nature of many Balkan freshwater species and ongoing pressures from habitat modification and water resource development, future surveys of this species' distribution and population are of conservation relevance.