Oxynoemacheilus hazarensis

Common name. Hazar loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemachei lus in Tigris drainage by: ● flank naked, only caudal peduncle behind anus with scales / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ lateral line incomplete / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ a deep incision in middle of upper lip / ○ mottled or marmorated colour pattern on flank, not interrupted by an unpigmented zone along lateral line. Size up to 67 mm SL.

Distribution . Türkiye: Lake Hazar basin.

Habitat. Lakeshores and moderately fast-flowing, stagnant waters of streams, backwaters, and springs with muddy bottoms.

Biology. No data.

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

Remarks. This species is not closely related to other species in the Tigris but belongs to a group of loaches that are mostly found in the Euphrates.

Further reading. Freyhof & Özuluğ 2017 (description); Freyhof et al. 2019b (diagnosis).