Garra rossica (Nikolskii, 1900)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 211-212

Garra rossica

Common name. Afghan garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Persian Gulf and endorheic basins in Iran by: ○ one or two pairs of barbels; if two pairs, rostral barbel very small, sometimes just tubercle / ○ gular disc small / ○ chest, belly, and predorsal midline fully covered by scales / ○ 5½–6½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and dorsal origin / ○ 4½–5½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin / ○ an axillary scale at pelvic origin / ○ 13−16 gill rakers / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / ○ lateral and distal margin of labrum of gular disc free from skin of chin / ○ body brown or grey, usually mottled / ○ eye fully developed. Size up to 95 mm SL.

Kashaf in Hari drainage, a habitat of Garra rossica .

Distribution. Hari, Morghab, Bejestan, Sistan, Mashkid, and Jazmurian basins and Makran region in Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. North-western Baluchistan west of Central Brahui, Mashkid basin, and Kharan-Makran areas in Pakistan.

Habitat. Springs, slow-flowing streams, canals, and various artificial habitats.

Biology. Mature at 2–3 years. Feeds on algae and detritus.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Garra phryne from Sistan in Iran is a synonym. Garra rossica and G. nudiventris are very closely related and may be accepted as conspecifics in future.

Further reading. Nikolskii 1900 (description); Esmaeili et al. 2016c (discussion on G. nudiventris ); Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2019a (distribution); Coad 2021a (biology, morphology).

Garra rufa ; Sirvan drainage, Iraq; ~ 100 mm SL.

Garra rufa ; Great Zab drainage, Iraq; ~ 110 mm SL.