Cobitis kellei

Common name. Diyarbakır spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Persian Gulf basin by: ○ one lamina circularis in male / ○ Z4 consisting of indistinct minute, dark-grey, roundish dots. Size up to 58 mm SL, likely to grow larger.

Distribution . Türkiye: Göksu in upper Tigris drainage.

Habitat. Described from a small lowland stream.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. Extinct; only known occurrence of this species was in lower Göksu. It has not been found again in the region despite intensive fieldwork. Habitat conditions in Göksu had been good and it remains unclear why it might have disappeared. In recent years, however, Göksu has almost completely dried out.

Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 1998 (description); Freyhof et al. 2018c (identification, extinction).