Oxynoemacheilus tigris

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 535-537

Oxynoemacheilus tigris

Common name. Halap loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Euphrates and Qweiq drainages by: ● prominent long and high dorsal adipose crest on caudal peduncle reaching beyond vertical through anal origin, usually below last dorsal rays when folded down / ● dorsal

crest usually dark-brown with yellowish or whitish margin in individuals larger than 60 mm SL / ● 10–16 bold, narrow, regularly shaped bars, very prominent on caudal peduncle / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ lateral line incomplete / ○ many isolated, deeply embedded scales on flank / ○ two bold, black spots at caudal base in most individuals. Size up to 73 mm SL.

Oxynoemacheilus sarali ; Merzimen, Euphrates drainage, Türkiye; 65 mm SL.

Distribution. Qweiq drainage in Türkiye and Syria, and

stream Merziman, which joins Euphrates at Birecik reservoir.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing to standing waters of

streams with gravel or mud bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within

its very small range. Extirpated from Syria and has a very

small distribution range in Türkiye.

Remarks. A population of O. tigris from the upper Qweiq

in Türkiye shares mtDNA with O. namiri from the Orontes,

The population from Merziman was described as O. sarali

in 2025, too late to be included in this book.

Further reading. Heckel 1843 (description); Freyhof et al.

2019b (diagnosis, distribution); Turan et al. 2025 ( O. sarali ).

Sünnep,a small headwater stream inhabited by Oxynoemacheilus tigris , is one of only two remaining tributaries of the Qweiq drainage.

Family Nemacheilidae 537

The Choman, making the border between Iraq (left) and Iran (right), is a tributary of the Lesser Zab and the habitat of a diverse and rich fish community, including Oxynoemacheilus kurdistanicus .

Oxynoemacheilus tongiorgii ; Kor drainage, Iran; female,~ 60 m SL.