Oxynoemacheilus frenatus (Heckel, 1843)

Saad, Adib, Çiçek, Erdoğan, Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Fricke, Ronald, Sungur, Sevil & Eagderi, Soheil, 2023, Freshwater fishes of Syria: a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023, Zootaxa 5350 (1), pp. 1-62 : 11-12

Oxynoemacheilus frenatus (Heckel, 1843) [N]—Banded Tigris loach; Lahhas alsakhr

Taxonomy. Original description: Cobitis frenata Heckel, 1843a: 1086 (96) [Tigris River, Mosul, Iraq; syntypes: NMW 48552 (5), NRM 15477 (1); illustrated by Heckel (1843b: pl. 12, fig. 1)].—Syrian synonyms: None.— Revisions: Freyhof et al. (2012); Sayyadzadeh & Esmaeili (2020).—Illustration: Heckel (1843b; pl. 12, fig. 1); Freyhof et al. (2017: 558, fig. 7); Sayyadzadeh & Esmaeili (2020: fig. 11).

Status in Syria. First record from Syria by Beckman (1962: 74) as Nemachilus frenata .—Syrian material: BMNH, NRM.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Syria: Tigris River system.—Distribution in River Basin: 1-Dajleh & Khabour, 2-Euphrates & Aleppo.—General distribution: Asia Minor and Middle East: Tigris River basin and Lesser Zab drainage ( Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria).—Distribution in Ecoregion: 441-Lower Tigris & Euphrates, 442-Upper Tigris & Euphrates.—Habitat: This species lives moderately fast flowing to almost standing waters of springs, streams and rivers with mud or gravel substrate. Freshwater.

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

Conservation. Conservation status in Syria: Unknown.—IUCN: LC ( IUCN 2023).—Threats: ABS, CON, HAB, EUT.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Stable.—High priority for conservation action.