European regional assessment: Near Threatened (NT)
EU 27 regional assessment: Not Recorded

The Montenegro Riffle Dace has a restricted range (extent of occurrence (EOO) c. 4,618 km²), which meets the threshold for the Endangered category under Criterion B1 (EOO < 5,000 km²). The extent and quality of habitat are estimated to be declining due to a range of threats which include pollution and channelisation, but it is not understood to be severely fragmented, the number of locations is unknown, and there is no evidence that it demonstrates extreme fluctuations. Therefore, this species is assessed as Near Threatened because it is close to qualifying for Endangered under Criterion B. This species does not occur in any EU 27 member states.

This species is endemic to the Lake Skadar (sq. Liqeni i Shkodrës; cnr. Skadarsko jezero) basin in Albania and Montenegro.

The largest putative subpopulation inhabits the Morača River system, including its major tributaries the Zeta and Cijevna (sq. Cem) rivers, and it also occurs in the Crnojevića River plus some minor streams and karstic springs draining into the lake's northern and southern shorelines. It is absent from the isolated Nikšić polje in the upper Zeta River catchment.

It is not known to habitually enter the lake itself (see 'Habitats and Ecology'), but a few historical records exist therefore it is included on the range map provided here.

This species' current population size and trend have not been quantified, and the number of subpopulations is unknown.

Oligotrophic and oligomyctic Lake Skadar is the largest freshwater wetland in the Balkan Peninsula. It is located in a karstic cryptodepression, and its surface area fluctuates between 370-530 km² on a seasonal basis. The Morača River is its most important tributary, contributing c. 62% of the lake's water supply.

The Montenegro Riffle Dace primarily inhabits flowing reaches of affluent rivers and streams with rocky and stony substrata. It regularly accesses subterranean waterbodies through spring-fed ponors, particularly in the upper Zeta River.

Like other members of the genus Telestes, it is a generalist omnivore with a diet dominated by benthic aquatic invertebrates, although some detritus and plant material is consumed as well. The early life stages are likely to be planktivorous, while adult individuals may also prey opportunistically on smaller fishes. Individuals mature at age 2+, and the annual reproductive period extends from April to June. This species is a polygamous batch spawner, and the eggs are deposited in areas with substrates of sand and pebbles.

The lower reaches of the Morača River system are polluted due to discharge of agricultural, domestic and industrial contaminants, the majority of which originate from Nikšić polje, the Bjelopavlići Valley and city of Podgorica.

The quality of habitat has been further diminished by bank stabilisation, channelisation and other efforts to enhance flood protection or exploit water resources for irrigated agriculture. Some habitats may also have been damaged by the industrial extraction of riverine gravel or other sediments for urban development.

A number of non-native fish species have been introduced to the Lake Skadar watershed and some have expanded into triburaty systems, including Goldfish (Carassius auratus), Common Carp (Cyprinus domestic strain), Eurasian Perch (Perca fluviatilis), Eurasian Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), Topmouth Gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva), Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). All of these taxa are considered to be invasive throughout the Mediterranean region, and they can exert detrimental pressures on native freshwater fauna through increased competition, predation, habitat degradation or transmission of pathogens.

The proposed construction of hydroelectric dams on the Morača River and its tributaries represents the most plausible future threat, since these would interfere with downstream flow, sedimentation and temperature regimes, favour the expansion of lentic non-native species into new artificial lakes and dewatered river stretches, and fragment the resident subpopulation.

Larger individuals are occasionally landed by recreational fishers, but this species is not otherwise used or traded.

This species is included (as Leuciscus soufia) in Appendix III of the Bern Convention and Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive.

No species-specific conservation measures are in place, but a significant proportion of its range lies within the boundaries of protected areas. The Montenegrin part of Lake Skadar was declared a National Park in 1983 and designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1995 (site no. 784), while the Albanian portion was nationally-protected and added to the Ramsar Convention in 2006 (site no. 1598). The lower Zeta River in Montenegro has been a protected area since 2019.

A deeper understanding of this species' present distribution, abundance, population dynamics, life history and response to the ongoing threats would likely prove beneficial in the design of any structured management plan.