Capoeta capoeta (Guldenstadt, 1773)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 126

Capoeta capoeta

Common name. Caucasian scraper.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Capoeta in Black and Caspian Sea basins by: ○ one pair of barbels / ○ 46–59 total lateral-line scales / ○ usually 8½ branched dorsal rays / ○ last unbranched dorsal ray strong, with many serrae / ○ 18 or more predorsal scales / ○ back behind head and in front of dorsal origin strongly compressed / ○ 44–47 total vertebrae / ○ 17–26 gill rakers / ○ lower and upper lips smooth and narrow / ○ edge of lower jaw cornified. Size up to 380 mm SL.

Distribution . Caspian basin: Kura and Aras drainages (including Lake Sevan). Black Sea basin: Çoruh ( Türkiye) northeast to Rioni ( Georgia). Lake Urmia basin.

Habitat. Stream and river habitats from coastal to mountain streams with gravel substrates. Also in lakes and reservoirs. Spawns in fast-flowing waters in rapids and riffles on gravel or sand; also on wave-washed lake shores; migrates to lake tributaries to spawn.

Biology. Females live up to 10 years, males up to 6; usually 4−5 years. Spawns between March and September. Fractional spawner, individual females may spawn up to three times a year. Feeds mainly on detritus and periphyton.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. As with many barbels, the eggs are toxic and even inadequately cleaned fish can be dangerous to humans. Capoeta ekmekciae from the easternmost Black Sea basin (Çoruh in Türkiye northeast to Rioni in Georgia) and C. sevangi from Lake Sevan in Armenia are synonyms. The geographical boundaries between this species and C. razii south of Kura are unclear, and hybrids are expected to occur there and potentially in Aras.

Further reading. Berg 1949b (distribution, biology); Bănărescu 1999b (biology); Turan et al. 2006b ( Capoeta ekmekciae ); Zareian et al. 2017 (phylogeny, morphology); Kuljanishvili et al. 2020 (distribution, C. ekmekciae and C. sevangi as synonyms); Çiçek et al. 2022 ( C. ekmekciae as a synonym).

Figures

Capoeta capoeta

Distribution