Alburnus sellal Heckel, 1843 [N]—Sellal bleak; Daffaf

Taxonomy. Original description: Alburnus sellal Heckel, 1843a: 1082 [92] [Kueik (Qweik River), Aleppo, Syria; syntypes: NMW 55664-67 (1, 2, 4, 2); RMNH 2666 (2)].—Syrian synonyms: Chalcalburnus sellal (Heckel, 1843); Alburnus capito Heckel, 1843; Alburnus hebes Heckel, 1843; Alburnus microlepis Heckel, 1843; Alburnus mossulensis Heckel, 1843; Chalcalburnus mossulensis (Heckel, 1843); Alburnus pallidus Heckel, 1843; Leuciscus maxillaris Valenciennes, 1844; Alburnus maxillaris (Valenciennes, 1844); Alburnus caudimacula Heckel, 1847; Alburnus iblis Heckel, 1847; Alburnus megacephalus Heckel, 1847; Alburnus schejtan Heckel, 1847; Alburnus mossulensis delineatus Battalgil, 1942; Alburnus zagrosensis Coad, 2009; Alburnus selcuklui Elp, Şen & Özuluğ, 2015 .—Revisions: Bogutskaya (1997: 167), Mohammadian-Kalat et al. (2017).—Illustration: Heckel (1843b: pl. 11, fig. 1).

Status in Syria. Recorded from Syria in original description by Heckel (1843a: 1083, 1084, 1086) as Alburnus sellal, A. microlepis, A. pallidus, and A. hebes; subsequently reported by Beckman (1962: 87) as also A. capito, A. mossulensis, and A. pallidus; Ali (2003).—Syrian material: BMNH, MCZ, MNHN, NMW, RMNH, SMNS, MSL.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Syria: Qweik, Euphrates and Tigris river drainages.—Distribution in River Basin: 1-Dajleh & Khabour, 2-Euphrates & Aleppo.—General distribution: Asia Minor and Middle East: Euphrates, Tigris, Zoreh, Persis, and Hormuz River basins (Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran).—Distribution in Ecoregion: 441-Lower Tigris & Euphrates, 442-Upper Tigris & Euphrates.—Habitat: This species inhabits lakes, reservoirs, and all kinds of streams and rivers from the cold Anatolian highlands down to the subtropical Shatt al Arab and Iranian Gulf rivers. Freshwater.

Economic importance. Locally consumed, but of no commercial importance.

Conservation. Conservation status in Syria: Unknown.—IUCN: LC (IUCN 2023).—Threats: There are many threats in the area but this species is very resistant and can cope with most of them.—Low sensitivity to human activities.—Not considered as a keystone species.—Decline status: Stable.—Low priority for conservation action.