Alburnoides velioglui

Common name. Mesopotamian spirlin.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Alburnoides in Euphrates and Tigris drainages by: ○ horizontal eye diameter smaller than interorbital distance / ○ 5−6 gill rakers / ○ ventral keel completely covered by scales / ○ no pronounced chin / ○ mouth terminal or subterminal / ○ tip of mouth situated at a horizontal line with lower margin of pupil or below up to lower margin of eye in larger individuals /○ anal with slightly or clearly pointed tips and slightly or markedly concave outer margins / ○ 44−52+2−3, usually 46–48+2–3 lateral-line scales / ○ caudal lobes rounded / ○ 8½, rarely 9½, branched dorsal rays / ○ 11−13½ branched anal rays / ○ 41−42, usually 42, total vertebrae. Size up to 88 mm SL.

Distribution . Middle and upper Euphrates drainage in Türkiye, also found in Sirvan drainage in Iraq.

Habitat . Streams and rivers with fast-flowing water, usually with cobble and gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Turan et al. 2014a (description); Bektaş et al. 2019 (phylogeny); Canoğlu et al. 2023 (barcoding).