Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni ( Kessler, 1877 )

Çiçek, Erdoğan, Fricke, Ronald, Eagderi, Soheil, Sungur, Sevil, Coad, Brian W & Hamdard, Mohammad Hamid, 2023, Fishes of Afghanistan; a revised and updated annotated checklist, Zootaxa 5305 (1), pp. 1-69 : 8-9

Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni ( Kessler, 1877) [N]—Dwarf sturgeon

Taxonomy. Original description: Scaphirhynchus hermanni Kessler, 1877: 190 , pl. 8, fig. 25, 25a–b. [Amu Darya River, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan; syntypes: ZIN 3690 (4)].— Afghanistan synonyms: Scaphirhynchus hermanni Kessler, 1877 ; Pseudoscaphirhynchus rossikowi Nikolskii, 1900 .—Revisions: Berg (1948: 105).— Illustration: Berg (1948: 109, figs. 85–87).

Status in Afghanistan. First record from Afghanistan by Berg (1948: 108); confirmed by Coad (1981: 8; 2014: 110; 2015: 227).—Afghanistan materials: None.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan: Termez on the Afghan border with Uzbekistan (Amu Darya River system, into Aral Sea).—General distribution: Central Asia: endemic to Amu Darya River system.— Habitat: The species is rheophilic and occurs exclusively in fast-running, turbulent, turbid waters. Adults are benthophagous, feeding on various aquatic invertebrates. Freshwater, brackish.

Economic importance. Locally commercially important.

Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan: not known.—IUCN: CR ( Mugue & Karimov 2022a).—Threats: FIT, TOU, CON, EUT, CLI.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Decreasing.—High priority for conservation action.