Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Banks and Solander, 1794)

Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash, Ghanavi, Hamid Reza & Doadrio, Ignacio, 2020, Fig. 4 in Fig. 4 in Fig. 3 in Fig. 21. Sesarmops mora n in Paralbunea dayriti, Zoological Studies 59 (21), pp. 1-303 : 248-249

Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Banks and Solander, 1794) – Native ( Fig. 458)

Ophidium mastacembelus Banks [J.] & Solander [D. C.] in Russell 1794: 209; Type locality: Kowick River, Aleppo [Quwayq River, Halab, Syria]. Syntypes: BMNH 1955.6.25.4–6 (3).

Ophidium simack Walbaum [J. J.] 1792: 159; Type locality: “ Fluvio prope Halepum”.

Rhynchobdella haleppensis Bloch [M. E.] & Schneider [J. G.] 1801: 480; Type locality: “Frequens Haleppi, Simack il Inglese dictus”.

Mastacembelus syriacus Gronow [L. T.] in Gray 1854: 172; Type locality: Coic River, Syria. No types known.

Mastacembelus aleppensis Günther [A.] 1861: 541; Unjustified emendation of Rhynchobdella haleppensis Bloch & Schneider 1801 .

Common name: Pr: Mar mahi khardar, En: Tigris spiny eel.

Diagnosis: The eel-like body with 30–35 short, sharp dorsal spines, long soft dorsal and anal fins and the unique flexible snout flanked by tubular nostrils distinguish this species from all other Iranian fishes.

Meristic characters: D: XXX–XXXIII 68–90, A: III 70–90, P: 18–24, TV: 85–87.

Distribution: Tigris and Persis ( Fig. 459). Found in Lake Parishan, Shadegan Wetland, Zarivar Lake, Sarab Nilofar, Gamasiab, Talkhab, Chardavol, Chamkaran, Zemakan, Haramabad, Cholvar, Karon, Karkheh, Dez, Nahr-e Shavor, Cham, Marun, Zard and Jarahi rivers.

Taxonomy: Travers (1984) placed in mastacembelus .

Conservation: IUCN: Least Concern ( Freyhof 2014v).