Oxynoemacheilus zagrosensis Kamangar, Prokofiev, Ghaderi and Nalbant 2014

Oxynoemacheilus zagrosensis Kamangar, Prokofiev, Ghaderi and Nalbant, 2014 – Native (Fig. 330)

Oxynoemacheilus zagrosensis Kamangar [B. B.], Prokofiev [A. M.], Ghaderi [E.] & Nalbant [T. T.] 2014: 43; Type locality: Shooei River (Jemli, sta. 9), Baneh, Kurdistan, Iran, 35°58'01"N, 45°42'43"E. Holotype: FCFUK 101. Paratypes: FCFUK 136– 136 (31), ZMUU 23085 (4).

Common name: Pr: Loch-e Zagros, Sagmahi-e Zagros or kor, En: Zagros loach.

Diagnosis: Usually 8 branched dorsal fin rays, complete lateral-line, feebly developed adipose crests on the caudal peduncle, bony air-bladder capsule having moderately small and laterally directed posterior processes, a robust, deep and humped body and a reticulated colour pattern confluent to the wavy transverse bands, most distinctively developed posteriorly.

Meristic characters: D: 7–8, A: 4–6, P: 10–11, V: 6–7, LL: complete, SC: whole body except caudal peduncle, DP: moderately developed, PA: absent, SOG: present.

Distribution: Tigris basin (Fig. 331). Found in Choman and Little Zab River system. Esmaeili et al. (2017 2018) consider O. zagrosensis as an Iranian endemic species. As this species is widespread in the little Zab River, which flows in both Iran and Iraq, we consider it as native in Iran and not endemic.

Taxonomy.

Conservation: IUCN: Not Evaluated, PC: Least Concern. This species occurs in high number, in a large distribution range, in numerous independent populations and no widespread threat seems to affect it. Thus, we classified it as Least Concern.