Acanthobrama centisquama

Common name. Long-spine bream.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Acanthobrama by: ○ last unbranched dorsal ray considerably thickened and very strong / ○ last unbranched dorsal ray is 85–104 % of body depth at dorsal origin, 24–28 % SL / ○ 18–21½ branched anal rays / ○ pharyngeal teeth in one row / ○ posterior margin of flank scales crenulated / ○ 82−100 total lateral-line scales / ○ 19 gill rakers / ○ 8½ branched dorsal rays. Size up to 200 mm SL.

Distribution. Lake Amik in Türkiye and Lake al-Ghab in Syria, both in lower Orontes drainage.

Habitat. Lacustrine.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. Extinct; in modern times, only recorded from Lake Amik (Türkiye). This lake was drained in stages between the 1940s and the 1970s. Scales and pharyngeal teeth are also known from Lake al-Gab in Syrian Orontes drainage, which was drained much earlier. There is no evidence that it has survived in Lake Gölbaşı (Kırıkhan), the only remaining relic of Lake Amik. Several detailed surveys have been undertaken to find the species.

Further reading. Coad 1984 (description); Freyhof & Özuluğ 2014 (comparison).