Pseudophoxinus drusensis ( Pellegrin, 1933 )

Çiçek, Erdoğan, Fricke, Ronald, Sungur, Sevil, Çapar, Osman Bahadir & Golani, Daniel, 2023, Freshwater fishes of Israel; a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023, Zootaxa 5369 (4), pp. 451-484 : 461

Pseudophoxinus drusensis ( Pellegrin, 1933) [N]—Drusian spring minnow; Lavnunit ha’golan

Taxonomy. Original description: Phoxinellus (Pararhodeus) drusensis Pellegrin, 1933: 368 [Al-Mazra‘a, 32°46‘N, 36°29‘E, Syria; lectotype: MNHN 1932-163; lectotype selected by Krupp & Schneider (1989: 375)].— Israel synonyms: None.—Revisions: Krupp & Schneider (1989: 375).—Illustration: Krupp & Schneider (1989: 376, fig. 23).

Status in Israel. Reported from Israel by Tristram (1884: 175) as Leuciscus zeregi (non Heckel, 1843), and by Steinitz (1953: 213) with question as Phoxinellus zeregi (non Heckel, 1843); first record from Israel by Tortonese (1938) as Phoxinnellus (Pararhodes) drusensis as Pseudophoxinus zeregi drusensis from the Golan Hights; confirmed by Goren (1972, 1974) as Pseudophoxinus zeregi drusensis ; Goren & Ortal (1999: 4).—Israel material: HUJ.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Israel: Jordan Valley system. Golan Heights.—Distribution in River Basin: 3-Kinneret Basin.—General distribution: Middle East: Israel and Syria.—Distribution in Ecoregion: 438- Jordan River.—Habitat: This species lives in slow-flowing streams and among stones and vegetation in streams and stream pools. Freshwater.

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

Conservation. Conservation Status in Israel: Unknown.—IUCN: EN ( IUCN 2023).—Threats: ABS, CLI, CON, COM, EUT, HAB.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Not considered a keystone species.—Decline status: Decreasing.—High priority for conservation action.