Oxynoemacheilus leontinae (Lortet, 1883)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 518-519

Oxynoemacheilus leontinae

Common name. Tiberias loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in southern Levant by: ○ flank scaleless or with few isolated scales / ○ caudal very slightly emarginate or truncate / ○ lateral line terminating about at vertical of dorsal origin / ○ without prominent dorsal crest on caudal peduncle or with short crest on posterior caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ body depth at dorsal origin 16–20 % SL / ○ 8½-9½ branched dorsal rays / ○ flank with a series of irregularly shaped

/ ○ pelvic axillary lobe absent or a very shallow pad / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ lateral line complete, terminating at caudal base / ○ body completely covered by scales / ○ caudal deeply emarginate or forked. Size up to 75 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran and Iraq: Lesser Zab drainage.

Habitat. Moderate to fast-flowing streams with gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Kamangar et al. 2014 (description).

bars or large, roundish or vertically elongate blotches. Size up to 64 mm SL.

Distribution. Israel: Lake Hula and Tiberias basins.

Habitat. Lakeshores and small tributaries.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range. Extirpated from Hula and now restricted to Tiberias basin.

Remarks. Often identified as O. galilaeus or O. panthera .

Further reading. Lortet 1883 (description); Krupp 1985d, Krupp & Schneider 1989 (distribution).

Oxynoemacheilus marmaraensis ; Sursuluk drainage, Türkiye; ~ 75 mm SL.