Tariqilabeo adiscus

Common name. Sistan latia.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from T. macmahoni by: ● two pairs of relatively long barbels / ● 3−5, usually 4, scales between anus and anal origin / ● 19−22 total gill rakers / ● maximum body depth 17−22 % SL. Size up to 93 mm SL.

Distribution . Afghanistan and Iran: Sistan basin, including Helmand drainage. Iran: Zehak, Chahnime reservoirs, and Hamun Lakes.

Habitat . Wide range of slow-flowing and stagnant-water habitats. Common in small streams with rocky or muddy bottoms, irrigation ditches, reedbed channels, and pools.

Biology. Bottom feeders, feeding on detritus and algae.

Conservation status. LC; situation in Helmand unknown.

Remarks. Despite conflicting opinions, we maintain this species as valid and that fish from the Helmand drainage reportedly have 20–26 gill rakers. More material needs to be examined better to understand the diversity of Tariqilabeo in West Asia. Often identified as Crossocheilus latius, a species of Tariqilabeo from India from which it differs in having 19–22 gill rakers (vs. 37–39 in T. latius) and 34–38 total lateral-line scales (vs. 39–41).

Further reading. Annandale 1919 (description); Sayyadzadeh et al. 2015a (description, as Gonorhynchus adiscus); Behrens-Chapuis et al. 2015 (molecular phylogeny, as Gonorhynchus adiscus); Coad 2021a (biology, distribution).