Oxynoemacheilus hamwii

Common name. Orontes sportive loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Cilicia and northern Levant by: ● yellowish triangle at upper and lower posteriormost portions of caudal peduncle / ○ one central, bold-brown blotch or no blotch on caudal base, often an irregularly shaped black bar at caudal base / ○ caudal deeply emarginate with dark-brown bands of elongated blotches / ○ middle caudal ray 64–74 % of length of longest ray in upper caudal lobe / ○ lateral line complete or almost complete terminating behind vertical of anus / ○ flank covered by scales, sparsely set on anterior, densely set on posterior flank / ○ no prominent dorsal crest on caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ flank in juveniles with a midlateral series of horizontally elongate blotches, adults with a brown marbled pattern / ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.4–1.9 times in its length. Size up to 64 mm SL.

Distribution. Orontes drainage in Türkiye and northern Syria (Afrin).

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing water in streams and rivers with gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; appears to be extirpated in lower Orontes and is declining within its small range.

Remarks. Records of this species from the upper Orontes refer to O. shehabi, and records from the Euphrates and Tigris are misidentifications of other species, most likely O. argyrogramma, O. chaboras, and O. euphraticus.

Further reading. Krupp & Schneider 1991 (description).