Squalius lepidus Heckel, 1843

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 : 149-152

Squalius lepidus Heckel, 1843 – Native ( Figs. 270–273)

Squalius lepidus Heckel [J. J.] 1843: 1079 [89]; Type locality: Tigris River, Mosul, Iraq. Lectotype: NMW 49342 (spec. 1). Paralectotypes: NMW 49342 (spec. 2), 49343–44 (2, 1); SMF 847 [ex NMW in 1844] (1).

Common name: Pr: Kawar, Aroos mahi, En: Mesopotamian pike chub.

Diagnosis: Lateral line with 45–55 + 1–3 scales, head pointed, slender and head depth 44–53% HL.

Meristic characters: D: III–IV 7–8, A: III 8–9, P: 18–18, V: 8, GR: 7–12, LL: 45–55, TV: 42–46.

Distribution: Tigris basin ( Fig. 274). Found in Little Zab, Boen, Seymareh, Gamasiab, Dinevar, Kashkan, Zemkan, Karon, Karkheh, Dez, Armand, Gaverud and Sirvan Rivers.

Taxonomy: Coad (1991) placed in Leuciscus but Sanjur et al. (2003) transferred to Squalius . It can be a usual hybrid between Alburnus and Squalius species (between A. sellal and S. berak in the Tigris basin or between A. doriae and S. Namak in Namak basin). It always occurrs in low number and the few caught individuals show similarity in morphological characters to Alburnus ( Figs. 270, 271) or Squalius ( Figs. 272, 273) possible parents. Even though we include the species as valid here, we believe it needs further research is required to confirm its identity.

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

Squalius namak Khaefi, Esmaeili, Sayyadzadeh, Geiger and Freyhof, 2016 – Endemic ( Figs. 275, 276)

Squalius namak Khaefi [R.], Esmaeili [H. R.], Sayyadzadeh [G.], Geiger [M. F.] & Freyhof [J.] 2016: 148; Type locality: Spring Bolagh (Cheshmeh Bolagh) at Shazand, east of Anjirak, Markazi province, Iran, 34°00'38"N, 49°50'51"E. Holotype: ZM-CBSU G121. Paratypes: ZM-CBSU G111(10), E769(28), G433(5), FSJF 3521(5), G1001(2), 3522 (5).

Common name: Pr: Mahi sefid-e Namak, Aroos mahi Namak, En: Namak chub.

Diagnosis: Lateral line with 39–44 + 1–3 scales, head blunt, deep, head depth 50–63% HL, Knob on lower jaw symphysis wide, thick, posterior tip of each flank scale with a bold grey or brown, roundish or crescent-shaped blotch.

Meristic characters: D: III–IV 7–10 (8–9), A: III– IV (III) 7–10 (8), P: 17–18 (16–17), V: 9–11 (9), GR: 9–12 (10), LL: 39–46, TV: 40–42.

Distribution: Kavir and Namak basins ( Fig. 277). Found in Pole doab, Qom, Namrud, Mazlaghan chay, Qara chay and Hableh Rivers as well as springs Bolagh.

Taxonomy.

Conservation: IUCN: Not Evaluated, PC: Least concern. Populations of this species are widespread in Namak and Kavir basins. No major thread seems to affect its populations. Therefore, we classified it as Least Concern.