Oxynoemacheilus species

Freyhof, Jörg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2021, Oxynoemacheilus sarus, a new nemacheilid loach from the lower Ceyhan and Seyhan in southern Anatolia (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae), Zootaxa 4964 (1), pp. 123-139 : 126

Key to Oxynoemacheilus species from the Göksu, Seyhan, Ceyhan and Orontes rivers, plus coastal drainages within their bounds

(Modified from Kaya et al. 2020)

1a Suborbital groove absent in male......................................................................... 2

1b Suborbital groove present in male........................................................................ 6

2a Caudal fin slightly emarginate, almost truncate................................................... O. seyhanensis

2b Caudal fin deeply emarginate or forked.................................................................... 3

3b Lateral line terminating above anal-fin base or on hypural complex; many isolated and embedded scales on back and flank in front of dorsal-fin origin; shortest middle caudal-fin ray 1.1–1.3 times in length of longest ray of upper caudal-fin lobe.............................................................................................. O. ceyhanensis

3a Lateral line terminating anterior to or below dorsal-fin base, rarely above anus or anal-fin base; no or very few ( O. namiri ) isolated and embedded scales on back and flank in front of dorsal-fin origin; shortest, middle caudal-fin ray 1.3–1.5 times in length of longest ray of upper caudal-fin lobe in O. namiri and O. amanos ; 1.2–1.4 in O. cilicicus , in which lateral line is terminating in front of or below dorsal-fin base........................................................................ 4

4a Flank pattern usually with 6–17, very distinct and regularly shaped and set bars, usually all or most flank-bars, at least behind dorsal-fin base, extending to middorsal saddles and usually meeting contralaterals........................... O. namiri

4b Flank pattern mottled or with many, very narrow, irregularly shaped and set, pale-brown bars, usually flank-bars separated from middorsal saddles and not meeting contralaterals............................................................. 5

5a Lateral line with 23–45 pores; infraorbital canal with 10–14 pores; body depth at dorsal-fin origin 1.2–1.4 times in HL................................................................................................. O. amanos

5b Lateral line with 13–23 pores; infraorbital canal with 8–10 pores; body depth at dorsal-fin origin 1.0–1.2 times in HL.................................................................................................. O. cilicicus

6a Caudal-fin pattern very indistinct, almost or completely absent....................................... O. seyhanicola

6b. Caudal fin with dark-brown bands of elongated blotches....................................................... 7

7a A bold, black blotch or spot at upper and lower caudal-fin base................................................. 8

7b One central, bold-brown blotch or no blotch on caudal-fin base, often an irregularly-shaped black bar at caudal-fin base.... 9

8a 5–7 flank-bars, irregularly shaped and set, extending to the middorsal saddles and meeting the contralaterals; caudal peduncle 1.8–2.4 times longer than deep................................................................... O. shehabi

8b A midlateral series of large blotches, usually disconnected from saddles on back, caudal peduncle 1.4–1.8 times longer than deep.......................................................................................... O. sarus

9a Caudal peduncle depth 1.4–1.9 times in its length; middle caudal-fin ray 64–74% of length of longest ray in upper caudal-fin lobe......................................................................................... O. hamwii

9b Caudal peduncle depth 1.8–3.5 times in its length; middle caudal-fin ray 74–91% of length of longest ray in upper caudal-fin lobe............................................................................................... 10

10a A yellowish triangle at upper and lower posteriormost portions of caudal peduncle; caudal peduncle depth 1.8–2.4 times in its length; caudal fin emarginate, middle caudal-fin ray 80–91% of the length of the longest ray in the upper caudal-fin lobe................................................................................................. O. evreni

10b No yellowish triangles at posteriormost portion of caudal peduncle; caudal peduncle depth 2.2–3.5 times in its length; middle caudal-fin ray 74–83% of the length of the longest ray in the upper caudal-fin lobe........................ O. samanticus