Salmo fahrettini

Common name. Euphrates trout.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Salmo in Euphrates and Tigris drainages by: ○ flank silvery in life / ○ back, middle and upper part of flank with numerous, roundish black spots (>80) increasing in number with size / ○ one black spot in postorbital and suborbital areas / ○ numerous roundish red spots on flank (> 70 in adult individuals), smaller than pupil, increasing in number with size / ○ no black spots on top of head / ○ no dark-brown or grey bands on flank / ○ head length 24–28 % SL / ○ maxilla length 8–10 % SL in male / ○ adipose depth 3–8 % SL in male / ○ lateral line with 109–116 scales counted until end of hypural complex / ○ 27–30 scale rows between dorsal origin and lateral line / ○ 20–23 scale rows between anal origin and lateral line / ○ 15–17 scale rows between origin of adipose and lateral line. Size up to 232 mm SL.

Distribution: Türkiye: Ömertepesuyu and Tekke in northern Euphrates drainage and Terme drainage, east of Samsun, in Black Sea basin.

Habitat. Headwater streams with cold, clear water, moderate current, gravelly and pebbly bottom.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. EN; the quality of its habitats is steadily declining due to pollution and water abstraction, and its population appears to be already quite low.

Further reading. Turan et al. 2020 (description); Yılmaz et al. 2021 (record from Terme).