Salmo murathani, Turan & Kottelat & Kaya, 2022

Turan, Davut, Kottelat, Maurice & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2022, The trouts of the upper Kura and Aras rivers in Turkey, with description of three new species (Teleostei: Salmonidae), Zootaxa 5150 (1), pp. 43-64 : 44-48

Salmo murathani , new species

( Figs. 1–2 )

Holotype. FFR 3240, 255 mm SL; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Keklik Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°17’N 42°39’E), Sarıkamış District, Aras River drainage; D. Turan & S. Engin, 3 September 2006.

Paratypes. FFR 3121, 18, 60–233 mm SL; CMK 19737, 2, 163–169 mm SL; same data as holotype.—FFR 3117, 22, 95–192 mm SL; FFR 3113, 17, 91–206; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Keklik Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°15’N 42°40’E) Sarıkamış District, Aras River drainage; D. Turan & R. Buyurucu, 4 August 2007 .— FFR 3112, 20, 102–208 mm SL; CMK 19465, 3, 121–163 mm SL; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Kızılçubuk Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°22’N 42°32’E), Sarıkamış District, Aras River drainage; D. Turan & S. Engin, 3 September 2006 .— FFR 3120, 10, 69–163 mm SL, Turkey: Kars Prov.: Maksutçuk Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°32’N 42°52’E), Aras River drainage; D. Turan & S. Engin, 3 September 2006 .— FFR 3108, 14, 90–186 mm SL; Turkey: Ardahan Prov.: Çıldır Lake (41°03’N 43°19’E), Aras River drainage; D. Turan & S. Engin, 5 August 2007 .— FFR 3228, 23, 95–241 mm SL; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Arpaçay Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°54’N 43°10’E) Arpaçay District, Aras River drainage; C. Kaya, E. Bayçelebi & M. Kuyumcu, 26 July 2017 .— FFR 3229, 8, 110–156; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Keklik Stream [a tributary of Kars Stream] (40°17’N 42°39’E) Sarıkamış District, Aras River drainage; C. Kaya, E. Bayçelebi & M. Kuyumcu, 25 July 2017 .

Diagnosis. Salmo murathani is distinguished from all the species of Salmo in adjacent waters in having a combination of the following characters: in life, general body color greyish on back and upper part of flank, yellowish on lower part of flank and belly; 1–4 black spots behind eye, 4–15 spots on preopercle and opercle (mostly larger than pupil); black spots on body numerous (66–165) in males, and in females larger than 230 mm SL, irregularly shaped, small to medium (smaller than pupil), ocellated, surrounded by a large white ring, scattered on back, middle and upper part of flank, and anterior part of lower flank; in females smaller than about 210 mm SL, black spots few (34–47), restricted to back and upper part of flank; number of black spots increasing with increasing size; red spots few, ocellated, surrounded by a large white ring, scattered on middle and half of lower and upper flank in both sexes; maxilla length 8.0–10.0% SL, reaching slightly beyond eye in males larger than about 150 mm SL and in females larger than about 200 mm SL; adipose-fin of moderate size, not reaching caudal-fin base; 114–122 lateralline scales; 27–31 scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin; 20–23 scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin; 16–18 scale rows between lateral line and end of base of adipose fin; gill rakers 21–23 on outer side of first gill arch; 12–14 parr marks on flank, visible in specimens smaller than about 200 mm SL, vertically elongate on anterior part of body, roundish on posterior part of body; there are four dark bands on flank in females larger than 230 mm SL.

Description. General appearance is shown in Figs. 1–2 , morphometric and meristic data are given in Tables 1–2 . Body slender and slightly compressed laterally. Dorsal profile arched, ventral profile less arched than dorsal profile. Predorsal profile convex with a slightly developed keel. Head somewhat short, its length 25–29% SL in males, 25–27 in females, upper profile slightly convex in interorbital area, slightly concave at level of nostrils in male, slightly convex in interorbital area and snout in females. Mouth subterminal in males and females. Length of mouth gape 11–16% SL in males, 11–13 in females. Tip of lower jaw slightly curved upward, pointed, with a small process at symphysis in male. Maxilla short, its length 8–10% SL in males and females, reaching slightly beyond eye in males larger than about 150 mm SL and in females larger than about 200 mm SL. Snout short, its length 6–8% SL in males and females, pointed in males and rounded in females. Adipose fin somewhat large, its height 6–9% SL in males, 6–8 in females, its free margin straight anteriorly and convex posteriorly. Teeth on shaft of vomer small and cross-lined, sometimes anterior part with single row.

Lateral line with 114–122 scales; 27–31 scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin; 20–23 scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin; 16–18 scale rows between lateral line and end of base of adipose fin. Dorsal fin with 3–4 simple and 9–10 branched rays; distal margin straight. Pectoral fin long, with 1 simple and 11–13 branched rays; outer margin straight. Pelvic fin with 1 simple and 7–8 branched rays; outer margin slightly convex.Anal fin with 3 simple and 7–8 branched rays; distal margin concave. Caudal fin slightly forked, upper lobe slightly pointed and lower lobe rounded. Gill rakers 9–10 + 11–13= 21–23 on outer side of first gill arch. Vomer teeth in two rows.

Sexual dimorphism. Males have a longer head (25–29% SL, mean 26.9 vs. 25–27, mean 25.7), a greater adipose-fin depth (6–9% SL, mean 7.3 vs. 6–8, mean 6.6) and greater mouth gape (11–16% SL, mean 13.7 vs. 11–14, mean 12.6) than females.

Coloration. General body color in life grayish on back and upper part of flank, yellowish on lower part of flank and belly. General color of preserved specimens: brownish to dark gray on back and upper flank, yellowish on belly and lower part of flank. 1–4 black spots behind eye, 4–15 spots on preopercle and opercle (mostly larger than pupil). Numerous black spots on pores on top of head. In males, black spots on body numerous (66–105), irregularly shaped, small to medium (smaller than pupil), ocellated with an irregularly shaped white ring, scattered on back, middle and upper part of flank, and anterior part of lower flank in males, their number increasing with size. In females smaller than 210 mm SL, black spots fewer (34–47), small to medium (smaller than pupil), ocellated with an irregularly shaped white ring, scattered on back and upper part of flank. In females larger than about 230 mm SL, numerous (72–165), scattered on back, middle and upper part of flank, their number increasing with size. Red spots few (14–40), irregularly shaped, ocellated, surrounded by an irregularly shaped white ring, scattered on middle and half of lower and upper part of flank in both sexes, their number not increasing with size. Dorsal fin greyish, with one or two rows of red spots on its lower part, 2–5 rows of black spots on its middle, lower and upper part. Caudal, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins greyish. Leading edge of anal and pelvic fins faint whitish in specimens larger than 200 mm SL. Adipose fin greyish, with zero or one irregularly-shaped red spot along distal margin. There are four dark bands on flank in females larger than 230 mm SL in both live and preserved specimens 12–14 parr marks distinct up to at least 200 mm SL in males and females, vertically elongated in anterior part of body, roundish in posterior part of body.

Distribution and biology. Salmo murathani occurs in streams Keklik, Kızılçubuk, Arpaçay, Maksutçuk (all in the Kars watershed) around Sarıkamış district, and in Lake Çıldır ( Fig. 3 ). Salmo murathani inhabits clear and comparatively slow flowing water, with stone and pebble bottom. Salmo murathani co-occurs with Barbus cyri in lower part the stream Keklik. The maximum known size of Salmo murathani is 255 mm SL.

There is no indication that our material from Turkey would include anadromous individuals. Our materials include both mature male and female individuals. People in villages along the rivers say that they have not seen that migrations could happen; they also report that the largest size of trouts in these rivers are about 300 mm.

Etymology. Salmo murathani is named after Murathan Turan, son of the first author. A noun in genitive.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Salmo murathani; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Keklik Stream; a, holotype, FFR 3240, 255 mm SL, male; b, paratype, FFR 3121, 233 mm SL, female; c, FFR 3121, paratype, 120 mm SL, juvenile.

FIGURE 2. Salmo murathani; Turkey: Kars Prov.: Arpaçay Stream; a, paratype, FFR 3228, 241 mm SL, female; b, paratype, FFR 3229, 90 mm SL, female.

FIGURE 3. Map of eastern Anatolia showing the distribution of the native Salmo specimens examined for this study.