I found isolated pools in which there are Atherinidae, through the pebbly shores of Piave River (North-East Italy, Europe - in attachment there is a picture of the remainder of shores, after the drought of this year, to let you see it context. Isolated ponds were found about 20m close to the shores, where you can see the vegetation - picture not mine ).
The pools are isolated (, there is no inflowing or outflowing water. Water seems also stagnant. The distance of some pools is also very large (dozens of meters, in some occasion a hundred).
The drought here was extreme. When I observed these ponds, it only had rained for a few days (about 3 in a week) after months without no rain: there were not conditions to have inflow of water, because around the ponds is completely dry, and my hypothesis was the ponds may not necessarily be remainders of evaporation of larger volume of waters that resisted months of drought, but originated after rain fall.
There are small fishes in the pools I thought were previously dry.
I think they may be Atherinidae, because they are small and resistent to salinisation of water.
I wonder how they made it to get here. Could the eggs be preserved?
-- I'd like to learn more about these fishes, I love to explore their habitat.
