Garra lorestanensis Mousavi-Sabet and Eagderi, 2016

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 : 72-73

Garra lorestanensis Mousavi-Sabet and Eagderi, 2016 – Endemic ( Fig. 122)

Garra lorestanensis Mousavi-Sabet [H.] & Eagderi [S.] 2016: 46; Type locality: Loven Cave, Tigris River drainage, Persian Gulf basin, Lorestan Province, Iran, 33°04'39"N, 48°35'33"E. Holotype: VMFC GL-H. Paratypes: GUIC (3), VMFC (2).

Common name: Pr: Mahi kor lorestani, En: Lorestan blind fish.

Diagnosis: Lacking pigment on the body and eyes.

Meristic characters: D: III 7–8 (7), A: III 5, P: 13–14, V: 6–7, GR: 10–12, LL: naked, TV: 34–35 (35).

Distribution: Tigris basin ( Fig. 123). Found in Loen cave (Lorestan prov.), a tunnel close to Seymareh Dam (Ilam prov.) and Tuveh fountain (Khozestan prov.).

Taxonomy.

Conservation: IUCN: Not Evaluated, PC: Least Concern. Tuveh fountain (32°48'37"N, 48°43'05"E) is a new locality for G. lorestanensis and G. typhlops . It is a temporal water source which flows mainly between autumn and spring, depending on the amount of rainfall in the region. During this period the fountain creates a temporal river which flows to the Dez River. During our field work, more than 300 juvenile (less than 20 mm) specimens of G. typhlops and G. lorestanensis were observed. These specimens were thrown out of the cave system and were carried with water toward the dam reservoir. With the reduction of water flow, these samples are trapped in small ponds created on the riverbed. With time and the evaporation of these ponds these specimens usually perish or are hunted by predators (mainly birds). Considering the small size and the high number of juveniles we estimate that early March should be the hatching period for these species. In addition to this new locality, local shepherds confirmed that “small white fishes” were observable in numerous other temporal fountains of the region also in other villages. According to IUCN Red List 2019, G. typhlops is listed as VU (Vulnerable, assessed on August 1996), G. lorestanensis as NE (Not Evaluated) and E. smithi as VU (assessed on August). Based on these new localities and considering the high number of individuals observable in different localities, we conclude that this species, occurs in high number in a wide underground system in Zagros Mountains. We expect that with more precise field work in the region more localities can be discovered for these three cave species which occur in sympatry. Consequently, we classified this species as Least Concern.