Oxynoemacheilus arsaniasus

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 487

Oxynoemacheilus arsaniasus

Common name. Murat loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Euphrates drainage by: ○ scales absent / ○ supratemporal canal with one central pore / ○ lateral line incomplete, reaching to vertical through a point between about of one snout length in front of dorsal origin and middle of caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ pelvic axillary lobe absent / ○ no or a shallow dorsal and ventral adipose crest in individuals larger than 50 mm SL / ○ dark-brown bar or a vertically elongated blotch on caudal base or a bar fused with a roundish or vertically elongate, dark-brown blotch at vertical midline / ○ caudal usually with wide, bold, dark-brown bands / ○ caudal–peduncle length 1.3–1.6 times its depth / ○ prepelvic length 48–53 % SL. Size up to 97 mm SL.

Distribution . Türkiye: Murat drainage, a major tributary of Euphrates and in Güroymak spring near Bitlis. Potentially more widespread in Euphrates.

Habitat. Fast-flowing streams and rivers with gravel or rock substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC. Extirpated from Syrian part of Qweiq.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2019b (description).

Figures

Oxynoemacheilus arsaniasus

Distribution