Oxynoemacheilus kentritensis

Common name. Botan loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Tigris drainage by: ○ distinct bars or vertically elongated blotches on flank behind dorsal origin / ○ colour pattern on anterior part of flank not interrupted by unpigmented zone along lateral line / ○ 10+9, 9+9 or 9+8 branched caudal rays / ○ flank completely covered by scales / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ one central pore in supratemporal canal / ○ no median incision in upper lip / ○ lateral line complete, terminating behind vertical of anal base or at caudal base / ○ posterior process of bony air-bladder capsule directed laterally / ○ maxillary barbel reaching beyond middle of eye, usually to posterior eye margin / ○ interorbital distance 1.6–1.9 times in snout length / ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.2–1.3 times in caudal–peduncle length. Size up to 78 mm SL.

Distribution . Botan, as well as Hezil and Nerduş, entering Tigris in border area of Türkiye, Iraq, and Syria.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing and stagnant waters of gravel-bedded streams.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2017a (description).