Published November 12, 2025 | Version v1

Alburnus magnificus Freyhof & Turan 2019

Description

Alburnus magnificus

Common name. Hatay spotted bleak.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Alburnus in Mediterranean basin by: ○ mottled pattern on flank, pattern clear in live individuals / ○ anal origin below or behind last dorsal ray / ○ 4–5 scale rows between lateral line and anal origin / ○ ventral keel exposed for 5–10 scales in front of anus / ○ 9–11½ branched anal rays / ○ 9–12 gill rakers / ○ 45–52 total lateral line scales / ○ 4–5 scale rows between lateral line and anal origin / ○ last simple dorsal ray soft / ○ pelvic axillary scales present / ○ scales on back, flank, and belly well developed, overlapping / ○ bold black, grey or brown scales on silvery or brown background. Size up to 82 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye and Syria: Orontes drainage.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing streams with gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; found in fewer than 10 declining populations. Seems to have disappeared from Syria.

Remarks. Alburnus magnificus is related to A. qalilus from coastal streams in Syria.

Further reading. Geiger et al. 2014 (phylogeny); Freyhof & Turan 2019 (description).

Notes

Published as part of Freyhof, Jörg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, GmbH, Berlin / Boston :De Gruyter on page 322, DOI: 10.1515/9783111677811, http://zenodo.org/record/17881367

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Additional details

References

  • Geiger, M., F. Herder, M. T. Manahan, V. Almada, R. Barbieri, J. Bohlen, M. Casal-Lopez, G. B. Delmastro, G. P. Denys, A. Dettai, I. Doadrio, E. Kalogianni, H. Karst, M. KovaCiC, M. Laporte, M. Ozulug, A. Perdices, S. Perea, H. Persat, S. Porcelotti, C. Puzzi, J. Robalo, R. Sanda, M. Schneider, V. Slechtova, M. Stoumboudi, S. Walter & J. Freyhof. 2014. Spatial heterogeneity in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot affects barcoding accuracy of its freshwater fishes. Molecular Ecology Resources 14: 1210-1221. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12257
  • Freyhof, J. & D. Turan. 2019. Alburnus magnificus, a new species of bleak from the Orontes River drainage (Teleostei: Leuciscidae). Zootaxa 4559: 373-383. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4559.2.10