Oxynoemacheilus leontinae ( Lortet, 1883 )

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 : 456

Oxynoemacheilus leontinae ( Lortet, 1883) [N]—Lebanese loach; Binun kinnarti

Taxonomy. Original description: Nemachilus leontinae Lortet, 1883: 171 , pl. 18, fig. 1 [Lake Tiberias (Kinneret), Israel; lectotype: MGHN 3665 (64 mm SL, poor condition)].— Israel synonyms: Nemacheilus leontinae Lortet, 1883 .—Revisions: Prokofiev (2009: 880).—Illustration: Krupp & Schnider (1989: 384, fig. 30).

Status in Israel. Recorded from Israel in the original description by Lortet (1883: 171 as Nemachilus leontinae ), by Tristram (1884: 177) as Nemachilus leontina, Steinitz (1953: 214) with question as Nemachilus leontina, Goren (1974: 94) as Noemacheilus tigris (non Heckel, 1843); confirmed by Goren & Ortal (1999: 4) as Nemacheilus tigris (non Heckel, 1843); confirmed by Krupp & Schneider (1989).—Israel material: HUJ, MGHN.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Israel: Jordan River basin.—Distribution in River Basin: 3-Kinneret Basin.—General distribution: Israel.—Distribution in Ecoregion: 438- Jordan River.—Habitat: Slowly flowing or standing waters of streams and springs, also in wetlands, lake shores and spring lakes. Freshwater.

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

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