Glyptothorax shapuri, Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust & Freyhof, 2021

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 613-614

Glyptothorax shapuri

Common name. Shapur torrent catfish.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Glyptothorax in West Asia by: ○ thoracic adhesive apparatus with few, very short anteromedial striae, 1.0–1.2 times longer than wide, extending to base of last pectoral ray or to posterior limit of pectoral base / ○ thoracic adhesive apparatus strongly elevated, completely situated on a horse-shoe shaped elevation / ○ medial pit open, without striae / ○ dorsal and lateral head, back and flank with or without small roundish warts / ○ adipose short, its length 0.5–0.8 times larger than distance between base of last dorsal ray and adipose origin / ○ caudal lobes pointed / ○ caudal deeply forked, its shortest middle caudal ray 46–49 % of longest ray of upper caudal lobe / ○ caudal-peduncle 1.1–1.3 times in its length / ○ inner mandibular barbel 18–22 % HL / ○ outer mandibular barbel 42–44 % HL / ○ maxillary barbel shorter than head, 81–84 % HL / ○ 9–11 serrae on pectoral spine / ○ fins usually with distinct yellow tips / ○ head, back and flank with few, irregular shaped dark-brown blotches as large as eye diameter or larger, and many, very small dark-brown points, much smaller than eye diameter / ○ no silvery-beige spots and blotches on head and flank in life. Size up to 81 mm SL, likely to grow larger.

Distribution. Iran: Helleh drainage.

Habitat. Fast-flowing water in mountain streams, rapids, and riffles on rocky or gravelly bottoms.

Biology. Nocturnal, hiding under rocks during day. Feeds on benthic invertebrates.

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

Remarks. The description of G. shapuri may be based on juveniles, and the morphometric and colour pattern characters may be different in adults. However, we cannot exclude that this is a true dwarf species.

Further reading. Mousavi - Sabet et al. 2021 (description); Sayyadzadeh et al. 2022 (synonym of G. silviae ).

Small and juvenile Glyptothorax often inhabit small rivers like the Shapur in Iran.

Glyptothorax silviae ; Lodab, Marun drainage, Iran; ~ 100 mm SL.