Schizothorax zarudnyi (Nikolskii, 1897)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 244

Schizothorax zarudnyi

Common name. Hamoun snow barbel.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of snow barbels in Iran by: ○ two pairs of barbels / ○ 21–41 gill rakers. Size up to 530 mm SL, but maybe much larger. Up to 12 kg.

Distribution. Afghanistan and Iran: Sistan basin, including Helmand drainage. Iran: Zahak, Chahnime reservoirs, and Hamun Lakes.

Habitat. Pelagic in lakes, reed beds, and reservoirs. Appears to spawn in running waters. Expected to occur also in large rivers.

Biology. Mature after 4 years and at about 290−310 mm (male) and 380−400 cm (female, probably TL). Spawns March−April at water temperatures above 18°C. Reported to feed mainly on fish.

Conservation status. LC; situation in Helmand is unknown. A commercial species artificially propagated and stocked in Iran. Once widespread in Sistan but now reportedly restricted to the Chahnime reservoir near Zahak as other major wetlands have dried up and severely affected by invasion of non-native species such as Cyprinus carpio , Carassius auratus , Ctenopharyngodon idella , and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix .

Remarks. Placed in Oreinus by some authors, making the genus Schizothorax polyphyletic. We retain S. zarudnyi in Schizothorax until the case is better resolved.

Further reading. Gharaei 2012 (distribution); Coad 2014 (identification, distribution); Coad 2021a (biology, distribution).