Barbus cyri, De Filippi, 1865

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 98-99

Barbus cyri

Common name. Kura barbel.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Barbus in West Asia by: ○ 50−72+2−4 [52−76 total] lateral-line scales / ○ 39–44 total vertebrae / ○ postdorsal length 48–61 % SL / ○ dorsal base length 16–21 % SL / ○ anal length 6–10 % SL / ○ 28–33 scale around caudal peduncle / ○ 9–13 scales below lateral line / ○ lower lip with a median swollen pad / ○ dorsal origin at or behind vertical of pelvic origin / ○ numerous irregular dark-brown blotches on back, flanks and head / ○ anal longer in female than in male. Size up to 360 mm SL; usually smaller.

Distribution. Caspian basin: Kura and Aras west of Atrak. Also, in Lake Urmia basin.

Habitat. Mountain and foothill zones in streams and small rivers with fast, clear, well-oxygenated water and gravel substrate; also in large lakes; in steep rivers down to estuaries. In lowland areas often most common in small streams and rare in larger rivers. Spawns in streams on gravel beds.

Biology. Matures at about 2−3 years, males one year earlier than females. Usually lives 3−5 years. Spawns April−August,

Barbus cyri ; Tajan, Iran; male, 150 mm SL.

depending on altitude, at water temperatures of 14−20°C. Fractional spawner, spawns 2−3 times a season, some females appear to spawn only once a year. Three life history forms have been described from Lake Sevan ( Armenia), differing in size, distribution, migration patterns, and spawning habitats (lacustrine, river-lacustrine, and riverine). Feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates and algae.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Barbus goktschaicus from Lake Sevan basin ( Armenia) and B. urmianus from Lake Urmia basin are synonyms. Barbus cyri can only be distinguished from B. lacerta and B. karunensis by molecular characters. While forming their own molecular clusters, these three species are very closely related and may be treated as one species with three population groups in the future.

Further reading. Bogutskaya 2003b, c (morphology, biology); Khaefi et al. 2017a (review); Eagderi et al. 2019d (description of B. urmianus ); Kaya et al. 2020a (distribution); Coad 2021a (biology); Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. 2023d ( B. urmianus as synonym of B. cyri ); Gandlin et al. 2022 (phylogeography).

Barbels challenging species recognition. We usually use two completely independent datasets to determine whether two fish populations represent one or two species. These are molecular and morphological datasets. They may or may not agree. Suppose fish from two populations can be distinguished by non-overlapping or slightly overlapping morphological characters that are not expected to be phenotypically variable (based on the observer’s experience). In that case, they can be recognised as two species. If fish from the two populations also form two “well-separated” groups in molecular analyses, all is well, and they are usually accepted as two species. But what happens when two morphologically indistinguishable populations are placed in two molecular groups? The conceptual framework for resolving such cases needs to be better discussed. Some authors use more or less arbitrary thresholds for molecular markers and call all populations beyond these thresholds “cryptic species.” While we agree that some species are indistinguishable by external and internal characters, the term “cryptic species” has been applied to many very different cases and should be avoided as it is not clearly defined. In West Asia, the Barbus lacerta group represents such a case. Three poorly differentiated molecular lineages in the Caspian and Persian Gulf basins are found in allopatry. These lineages are usually recognised as B. cyri , B. karunensis , and B. lacerta , but they cannot be distinguished by the morphological characters examined so far . Whether they should be treated as one species ( B. lacerta ) occurring in three distinct populations or as three poorly differentiated species is a matter of debate, as there is no clear conceptual background to resolve such situations. However, such cases are relatively rare, and few similar situations exist in Garra and Oxynoemacheilus . Thus far, nearly all species “well separated” by molecular characters can also be distinguished externally.

Barbus escherichii ; Sakarya, Türkiye; 80 mm SL.

Barbus escherichii ; Sakarya, Türkiye; 184 mm SL.