Oxynoemacheilus mediterraneus

Common name. Pamphylian loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Central Anatolia and rivers flowing to Bay of Antalya by: ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.2–1.5 times in its length / ● caudal deeply emarginate, shortest middle caudal ray 65–76 % of longest ray of upper caudal lobe / ○ body depth almost uniform between dorsal and caudal bases / ○ flank blotches usually connected to saddles on back / ○ flank with scales / ○ no prominent dorsal crest on caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove present in male. Size up to 73 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Aksu and Köprüçay drainages in Gulf of Antalya.

Habitat. Fast-flowing to almost stagnant waters of streams and rivers with mud or gravel bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Loaches from Lake Eğirdir basin carry the mtDNA of O. mediterraneus but are identified as O. nasreddini by morphological characters.

Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 2007 (description); Yoğurtçuoğlu et al. 2021a (distribution).