8. Garra sharq Kirchner, Kruckenhauser, Pichler, Borkenhagen & Freyhof, 2020, Endemic

Fig. 24

Etymology: Garra: named based on a vernacular Indian name, a fish living in mud; sharq: the Arabic word for east, for its distribution range in north-eastern Oman.

Common name: Dayqah Garra, Sharq Garra .

Taxonomy: Garra sharq was described by Kirchner [S.], Kruckenhauser [L.], Pichler [A.], Borkenhagen [K.] & Freyhof [J.] 2020:538, figs. 13-16 [Zootaxa 4751 (no. 3)] Qifayfah, Oman, 22.915°N, 58.425°E. Holotype : NMW-100002. Paratypes: FSJF, NMW . Plus additional non-type material .

Short description: Garra sharq is differentiated from the other species of Garra in the Hajar Mountains e.g., G. barreimiae by absence of orange spot at the upper opercle (vs. presence) and a white dorsal fin tip (vs. presence), and by having 10–14 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (vs. 15–18). It is distinguished from G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis by having a strongly mottled flank pattern (vs. almost plain or with slight mottling) and individual or series of orange midlateral flank scales (vs. no orange scales). Garra sharq is distinguished from G. shamal by absence of a white dorsal-fin tip (vs. presence), orange scales on the flank usually present (vs. usually absent) and having black dorsal-fin membranes (vs. hyaline, brown, grey, often hyaline in proximal and black on distal portion).

Distribution: Wadi Dayqah basin north-eastern; Ibra, Al Sharqiya Governorate; Qufaifa, Al Sharqiya Governorate; Al Hajr, Ibri, Al Dhahira Governorate, Oman (Fig. 25).

Examined material: ZM-CBSU: O009. Gq 101, 10, Oman: Wadi Arabieen, 23°04’47”N, 59°02’32”E, H. R Esmaeili, S.M. Al-Jufaili, A. H Masoumi, Sep. 2021 . ZM-CBSU: O011. Gq 111, 8, Oman: Qufaifa, 22°55’30”N, 58°25’30”E, S.M. Al-Jufaili, Nov. 2020 .