Garra jordanica

Common name. Jordan garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Mediterranean and Dead Sea basins by:○ gular disc fully developed / ○ tubercles absent on upper posterior eye margin / ○ two pairs of normally developed barbels / ○ 8½ branched dorsal rays / ○ 35−37 total lateral-line scales / ○ 16 circumpeduncular scales / ○ 12−17, usually, 16, gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch / ○ 5–6, rarely 4 scales between tip of pectoral and pelvic origin / ○ maximum head width 64–72 % HL / ○ body depth at dorsal origin 20–25 % SL / ○ snout slightly pointed / ○ chest and belly scaled, 4−7 rows of deeply embedded scales on chest between pectoral bases / ○ mid-dorsal area in front of dorsal origin covered by scales / ○ dark-brown or grey blotch at posterior caudal peduncle present. Size up to 137 mm SL.

Distribution. Jordan drainage and lower Wadi Moujib, at east side of northern Dead Sea in Jordan.

Habitat. Springs, rivers, and streams with moderate to fast-flowing waters. Also in reservoirs and lakes.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Goren 1974 (morphology, distribution; as Garra rufa); Geiger et al. 2014 (phylogeny, as G. cf. ghorensis); Hamidan et al. 2014 (description, molecular phylogeny).