Pseudophoxinus libani

Common name. Lebanese minnow.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Pseudophoxinus in eastern Mediterranean basin by: ○ 42–57+2–3 scales in lateral series / ○ lateral line incomplete / ○ flank plain brown, grey or golden without or with faint, brown or grey mid-lateral stripe / ○ pelvic axillary lobe absent / ○ pelvic long, reaching or overlapping anus / ○ 4–5 scales between pelvic origin and lateral line / ○ 7–8 gill rakers / ○ 19–20 abdominal vertebrae. Size up to 95 mm SL.

Distribution . Orontes drainage in Türkiye and Syria except for upper Karasu, Litani drainage, and endorheic Lake El Yammoune basin in Lebanon.

Habitat. Springs, streams, and rivers, usually with clear water and dense vegetation.

Biology. Spawns between February–April.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Pseudophoxinus kervillei is a synonym.

Further reading. Bariche & Freyhof 2016 (diagnosis, synonyms, distribution); Bayçelebi 2020 (distribution).