Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)

Phylum Vertebrata 165 Baths in Óbuda. They were being caught in Fertő as well in 1931. These days, they can be considered a widespread species in the western half of the country. They are also known in several watercourses in Austria (BAUER and SCHUBERT 1957; HARKA 1990). Life in Fertő is sharply affected by occasions when the lake dries out, floods, freezes to the bottom, and is dried in some sections by the wind (see, for instance, NAGY 1869; REUTH 1878). These dramatic events are well conveyed by two passages in the BRUCKNER chronicle: '1466. In this year, it was again dry; Fertő was so tiny there were no fish... The lake almost completely dried up and the bottom could be seen.' The other passage refers to 1541: 'This year was so dry that Fertő also grew smaller and it was impossible to fish on it.' These events had catastrophic effects on the fauna, especially more sensitive water organisms such as fish, and by destroying these, on bird life as well (VARGA 1931b; MIKA and BREUER 1935; VARGA and MIKA 1937a and 1937c).

16 KÁROLY TAKÁCS (1998) describes a forgotten method of fishing in Lake Barbacsi in the Hanság. Several sources confirm the former profusion of fish in the lake. The letters of TAMÁS NÁDASDY point to substantial trading in fish caught in Barbacsi. In 1545, for instance, he sent orders to his steward: 'Meanwhile, do not forget Lake Barbacsi. Fish it even more thoroughly. Do not send me any of the fish unless I request it. Sell them all for money, because this year I want to see what Lake Barbacsi can do. For I have eight villages that owe me fish; let them send me fish here and to Sárvár.' Later the lake was mentioned in several other of these early Hungarian letters and its catches seem to have yielded a good income for NÁDASDY, who was later to be palatine of Hungary.

17 There have been far fewer studies of the fish of the Hanság than of Fertő (ARADI without date; KÖVÉR 1930; KERESZTESSY 1992; HARKA 1997; LENGYEL 1998; SEVCSIK 2001). Ichthyofaunistic researches into the fauna of the Fertő-Hanság National Park have been concentrated on the Hanság, however. Including literary references, 41 fish species can be said to occur in the Hanság, 14 being protected and one strictly protected (SEVCSIK et al. 2002). Data on the endangered status of the ichthyofauna of Hungary, Austria and Slovenia and on protected species appear in KERESZTESSY (1993a, 1993b and 1996), MIKSCHI et al. (1996) and Povz(1996). One strictly protected member of the Hungarian fauna worth mentioning is the European mudminnow (Umbra krameri). A scientific description was first published by JÁNOS KÁROLI (1882), who gathered all available literature and known occurrences. However, this rarity was also reported by MARSIGLI, who drew and described it initially as Gobius caninus. OTTÓ HERMAN (1882) painted 17. krameri from living specimens and gave some interesting, corrective and auxiliary information about its life his16 SZITA, SZ. 1968. A Fertő kiszáradásának építészeti emléke 1872/73-ból (Architectural memorial to the drying up of Fertő in 1872-3). Soproni Szemle 22:70-72. 17 MALYUSZ, Б. 1925. Az Országos Levéltár Nádasdy-levéltárának magyar levelei (Hungarian letters in the Nádasdy Archive of the National Archives). Levéltári Közlemények 3:1-85.