Oxynoemacheilus muefiti

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 521-523

Oxynoemacheilus muefiti

Common name. Stout Euphrates loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Euphrates drainage by: ○ scales absent / ○ lateral line incomplete, not reaching or reaching below dorsal base / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ supratemporal canal without central pore / ○ pelvic axillary lobe absent / ○ dorsal adipose crest on caudal peduncle shallow, reaching to vertical through last anal ray base in individuals larger than 50 mm SL / ○ caudal–peduncle length 1.3–1.6 times its depth / ○ body width at dorsal origin 11–13 % SL / ○ flank with fine, brown, mottled colour pattern, usually with narrow, pale-brown bars on flank behind dorsal base,

of Antalya by: ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.2–1.5 times in its length / ● caudal deeply emarginate, shortest middle caudal ray 65–76 % of longest ray of upper caudal lobe / ○ body depth almost uniform between dorsal and caudal bases / ○ flank blotches usually connected to saddles on back / ○ flank with scales / ○ no prominent dorsal crest on caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove present in male. Size up to 73 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Aksu and Köprüçay drainages in Gulf of Antalya.

Habitat. Fast-flowing to almost stagnant waters of streams and rivers with mud or gravel bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Loaches from Lake Eğirdir basin carry the mtDNA of O. mediterraneus but are identified as O. nasreddini by morphological characters.

Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 2007 (description); Yoğurtçuoğlu et al. 2021a (distribution).

bars confluent with adjacent saddles on back / ○ caudal base with mottled colour pattern, without bold, black bar or bold, black spots upper and lower caudal base. Size up to 70 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Upper Murat drainage and Eğri, a tributary of Atatürk reservoir. Potentially more widespread in Euphrates.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing streams and rivers with gravel or rock substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. This species is very closely related to O. ercisianus from Lake Van basin.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2019b (description).

The Orontes in Al Ghab in Syria, habitat of Oxynoemacheilus namiri , is heavily affected by pollution.

Oxynoemacheilus namiri ; Orontes drainage, Türkiye; 64 mm SL. Oxynoemacheilus namiri ; Afrin, Orontes drainage, Türkiye; 53 mm SL.