Chondrostoma kinzelbachi

Common name. Levantine nase.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Chondrostoma in Central Anatolia and eastern Mediterranean basin by: ○ (59) 63−73 (75) total lateral-line scales / ○ usually 7–7 pharyngeal teeth / ○ 9−10½, usually 9½, branched dorsal rays / ○ 10−13½, usually 10−11½, branched anal rays / ○ 32−38 gill rakers / ○ thick sheath covering lower lip / ○ no keel on back in front of dorsal. Size up to 220 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye and Syria: Orontes drainage.

Habitat. Medium-sized streams to large rivers with rocky or gravelly bottoms and fast to moderately fast currents. Also, in natural lakes and large reservoirs from which it migrates into tributaries to spawn.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range. Once widespread in Orontes, may now be restricted to Lake Gölbaşı and upper Karasu, including Tahtaköprü reservoir.

Remarks. Chondrostoma kinzelbachi, C. ceyhanense, and C. toros are all very closely related to C. regium and are difficult to distinguish. Future research may clarify whether they are better treated as distinct populations of C. regium.

Further reading. Krupp 1985a (description); Bogutskaya 1997a (identification); Güçlü et al. 2018 (morphology); Bayçelebi 2020 (distribution); Çiftçi et al. 2020 (phylogeny).