Cobitis emrei, Freyhof & Bayçelebi & Geiger, 2018

Freyhof, Jörg, Bayçelebi, Esra & Geiger, Matthias, 2018, Review of the genus Cobitis in the Middle East, with the description of eight new species (Teleostei: Cobitidae), Zootaxa 4535 (1), pp. 1-75 : 52-54

Cobitis emrei , new species

( Fig. 39–41 )

Holotype. ZFMK ICH-099187 , 56 mm SL; Turkey: Adapazarı (Sakarya) prov.: stream Kurtköy flowing to Lake Sapanca at Kurtköy , 40.713 30.175.

Paratypes. FSJF 1960 , 10 , 48–77 mm SL; same data as holotype .

Material used in molecular genetic analysis. FSJF DNA-173; Turkey: Adapazarı (Sakarya) prov.: stream Kurtköy flowing to Lake Sapanca at Kurtköy, 40.712 30.175. (GenBank accession numbers: KJ553154 , KJ553118 ).

Diagnosis. Cobitis emrei is distinguished from other Cobitis species in the Black Sea basins by a combination of characters, none of them unique. It is distinguished from C. splendens by the pigmentation in Z3 reaching to between the nape and the vertical of the dorsal-fin origin or even to the caudal peduncle in the males (vs. Z3 reduced to about head length), the pigmentation in Z3 usually wider than zone Z2 (vs. narrower or of equal width), the blotches in Z4 being horizontally elongate, often very densely set and fused into short or longer stripes in the male and some female (vs. Z4 anterior to dorsal-fin origin, irregularly roundish or squarish, well separate, very rarely fused into a stripe) and the back with 7–11 dark-brown large, roundish or squarish blotches, in one individual examined, blotches fused (vs. a marmorate pattern on the back or the blotches very indistinct from each other and irregularly shaped).

Cobitis emrei is distinguished from C. taenia , C. pontica and C. elongatoides by having horizontally elongate blotches in Z4 often very densely set and fused into short or longer stripes in the male and some female (vs. blotches vertically elongate, roundish, triangular or squarish, not fused), the focal zone in the subdorsal scales small, about ¼ or less than 1/3 of the maximum scale diameter (vs. large about 1/3 or more in C. taenia ) and the black spot at the upper caudal-fin base roundish or ovoid, larger than the eye diameter in the male (vs. usually comma-shaped, smaller than the eye diameter in the male and female C. taenia ) and Z3 fully covered by very small spots forming a sand-like pattern in the female (vs. pigmentation in Z3 not sand-like in C. taenia and C. pontica ).

Cobitis emrei is distinguished from C. tanaitica by the pigmentation in Z3 reaching to between the nape and the vertical of the dorsal-fin origin or even to the caudal peduncle in the males (vs. Z3 usually reaching to a point anterior to the dorsal-fin base), the blotches in Z4 being horizontally elongate, often very densely set and fused into short or longer stripes in the males (vs. vertically elongate, not fused) and Z3 wider than Z2 (vs. usually Z3 narrower Z2).

Cobitis emrei is distinguished from C. fahireae from the Aegean Sea basin by having a large, roundish or ovoid black spot at the upper caudal-fin base, larger than eye diameter in the males (vs. usually comma-shaped, smaller than eye diameter in the male and female or spot absent). It is distinguished from C. afifeae , C. dorademiri , C. phrygica , C. puncticulata and C. simplicispina by having one laminae circularis in the males (vs. two). Cobitis emrei is distinguished from C. saniae by having the base of the lamina circularis narrowly attached to the pectoralfin ray (vs. widely connected).

Description. See Figures 49–51 for general appearance and Table 5 for morphometric data of the holotype and the 10 paratypes. Greatest body depth at or slightly anterior to dorsal-fin origin, decreasing towards caudal-fin base. Head profile slightly convex, head length 1.1 – 1.4 times in body depth. Snout oblong or pointed, its length 0.6 – 0.8 times in postorbital length. Eye diameter 0 2 – 0 4 times in head depth at eye, 1.0 – 2.0 times in interorbital width. Caudal peduncle 1.0 – 1.6 times longer than deep.

Pelvic axillary lobe present or absent. Margin of dorsal fin convex and margin of anal fin convex. Caudal fin truncate or slightly rounded. No dorsal keel on caudal peduncle and a shallow ventral keel on caudal peduncle. External part of the suborbital spine bifurcate, reaching to or slightly beyond centre of eye. Largest recorded specimen 77 mm SL.

Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 6½ (4) and 7½ (7) branched rays. Anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5½ branched rays. Caudal fin with 6+5 branched rays in the male, 7+7 branched rays in the 5 males, 7+ 6 in the female and 7+ 7 in the 4 females. Pectoral fin with 8 (9) and 9 (2) branched rays and pelvic fin with 6 (10) and 5 (1) branched rays. Body completely covered by embedded scales, except on belly and breast. Scales small. Focal zone in subdorsal scales about 1/4 or less than 1/3 of vertical scale diameter. Lateral line short, with 3–6 pores or an open slit in skin along lateral line. Lips ( Fig. 54 ) thin and mental lobes of lower lip short, usually well separated from lower lip, rarely produced into a short barbel-like process. Rostral barbel reaching base of mandibular barbel. Mandibular barbel reaching to beyond vertical of nostril or corner of eye. Maxillary barbel reaching vertical of front border or usually middle of eye.

Sexual dimorphism. Males have a longer pectoral fin than females (21 – 23% SL vs. 13 – 16) and one lamina circularis (vs. absent).

Colouration. Background colour whitish with dark-brown pigmentation pattern organised in one mid-dorsal and four lateral zones. Mid-dorsal pigmentation consist of a series of 14–20, roundish blotches, often irregularlyshaped blotches, forming a marbled pattern, fused into short or long dark-brown stripes in few individuals. Zone Z1 fully covered by very small spots forming a sand-like pattern, as wide as or wider than Z2, reaching on predorsal body to interspaces of mid-dorsal blotches, fused with Z2 and Z3 on postdorsal flank. Zone Z2 with elongate blotches larger than eye, usually fused on anterior part of flank in male, especially on flank anterior to dorsal-fin origin. Zone Z3 fully covered by very small spots forming a sand-like pattern, confluent with zone Z1 and Z2 on postdorsal flank, much wider than Z2. Pigmentation in Zone Z4 with 5–7 predorsal, 2–3 subdorsal and 5–8 postdorsal blotches, blotches elongate, usually much longer than wide, often confluent and forming short stripes. A single, distinct, eye sized, black spot at upper caudal-fin base. Upper part of head, opercle and snout covered by large spots or short vermiculation. A dark-brown stripe from eye to snout. Fins hyaline. Caudal fin with 5–7 and dorsal fin with 5–8 dark, sometimes irregularly-shaped bars. Few dark-brown spots in paired fins. Barbels whitish.

Etymology. Named for Yunus Emre (about 1238–1320) the folk poet, philosopher and Sufi mystic who is the pioneer of Turkish poetry in Anatolia. A noun in genitive, indeclinable.

Distribution. Cobitis emrei has been only identified from the Lake Sapanca basin in Turkey.

Remarks. Erk'akan et al. (1999) identified this species as C. vardarensis , which is widespread in the river of the European Aegean Sea basin. Our molecular data clearly reject this hypothesis. While C. vardarensis and C. emrei , both belong to the C. taenia species group, they are not closely related. Erk'akan et al. (1998) report C. vardarensis also from the lower Sakarya River drainage, but we did not find Cobitis in the lower Sakarya, and suspect that these populations might be identified as C. emrei . Cobitis emrei seems to be closer to C. elongatoides from the Danube and Elbe drainages, C. pontica from the rivers south of the Danube in Bulgaria and Thrace and C. tanaitica from the northern Black Sea basin. Cobitis emrei is superficially very similar to C. elongatoides and is distinguished by small details in the colour pattern only. Both species are well distinguished by molecular characters and might represent almost real cryptic species. Based on DNA barcoding C. emrei is well separated from all other included Cobitis , and by a minimum K2P distance of 2.5% to C. tanaitica , which is its closest relative. It is also supported by the PTP approach as distinct entity.

Figures

FIGURE 39. Cobitis emrei, left column from the top: males, ZFMK ICH-099187, holotype, 56 mm SL; paratypes, FSJF 1960, 54 mm SL, 48 mm SL; right column from the top: females, 77 mm SL, 72 mm SL, 69 mm SL female; Turkey: Lake Sapanca basin.

FIGURE 40. Cobitis emrei, left column from the top: males, ZFMK ICH-099187, holotype, 56 mm SL; paratypes, FSJF 1960, 54 mm SL, 48 mm SL; right column from the top: females, 77 mm SL, 72 mm SL, 69 mm SL; Turkey: Lake Sapanca basin.

FIGURE 41. Cobitis emrei, FSJF 1960, 55 mm SL, male; Turkey: stream Kurtköy flowing to Lake Sapanca.

FIGURE 49. Cobitis pirii, left column from the top: males, ZFMK ICH-99635, holotype, 67 mm SL; paratypes, FSJF 2469, 61 mm SL, 59 mm SL; right column from the top: females, FSJF 2474, 95 mm SL, FSJF 2469 74 mm SL, 72 mm SL; Turkey: streams Aksu and Çayköy.

FIGURE 51. Cobitis troasensis, left column from the top: males, ZFMK ICH-098603, holotype, 50 mm SL; paratypes, FSJF 2383, 47 mm SL, 43 mm SL; right column from the top: females, 76 mm SL, 72 mm SL, 55 mm SL; Turkey: stream Tuzla.

FIGURE 54. Upper row: Cobitis afifeae, FSJF 3022, paratype, 76 mm SL; Turkey: Büyük Menderes River; C. aliyeae, FSJF 2427, paratype, female, 65 mm SL; Turkey: Seyhan River; C. anabelae, ZFMK ICH-98633, holotype, male, 53 mm SL; Turkey: Karasu River; C. emrei, FSJF 1960, paratype, female, 77 mm SL; Turkey: Lake Sapanca basin; Lower row: C. erkakanae, FSJF 2510, paratype, female, 68 mm SL; Turkey: canal at Lake Gölbaşı; C. joergbohleni, ZFMK ICH-97624, holotype, female, 60 mm SL; Turkey: spring Soysallı; C. pirii, FSJF 2474, paratype, female, 95 mm SL; Turkey: streams Çayköy; C. troasensis, FSJF 2383, paratype, female, 72 mm SL; Turkey: stream Tuzla.