Published November 12, 2025 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Oxynoemacheilus araxensis

Description

Oxynoemacheilus araxensis

Common name. Erzurum loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Euphrates drainage by: ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ lateral line complete / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ flank mottled or with 6–9 irregularly shaped dark-grey blotches, often fused, forming a lateral stripe / ○ caudal peduncle without high adipose crest or ridge / ○ flank covered by scales. Size up to 90 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Upper Karasu, a tributary of Euphrates west of Erzurum.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing streams.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC; appears to be declining within its small range.

Remarks. Despite its name, this species is restricted to the Euphrates drainage and has not been found in the Aras (Caspian basin).

Further reading. Bănărescu et al. 1978 (description); Freyhof et al. 2019 (distribution).

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 485, DOI: 10.1515/9783111677811, http://zenodo.org/record/17881367

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Additional details

References

  • Banarescu, P. M., T. T. Nalbant & S. Balik. 1978. Susswasserfische der Turkei. 11. Teil. Die Gattung Orthrias in der Turkei und in Sudbulgarien (Pisces, Cobitidae, Noemacheilinae). Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut 75: 255-266, 20 pls.
  • 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