Sabanejewia aurata ( De Filippi, 1863 )

Çiçek, Erdoğan, Fricke, Ronald, Eagderi, Soheil, Sungur, Sevil, Coad, Brian W & Hamdard, Mohammad Hamid, 2023, Fishes of Afghanistan; a revised and updated annotated checklist, Zootaxa 5305 (1), pp. 1-69 : 9

Sabanejewia aurata ( De Filippi, 1863) [N]—Golden spined loach

Taxonomy. Original description: Cobitis aurata De Filippi, 1863: 391 [stream near Sartschem (apparently Sarcham-e Sofla, 39°07’N, 47°54’E), Iran; lectotype: MZUT 674; lectotype selected by Tortonese (1961: 188)].— Afghanistan synonyms: Cobitis aurata De Filippi, 1863 ; Acanthopsis aurata ( De Filippi, 1863) ; Cobitis aralensis Kessler, 1877 ; Sabanejewia aralensis ( Kessler, 1877) ; Cobitis hohenackeri Kessler, 1877 .— Revisions: Berg (1949: 894) as Cobitis aurata , Vasil’eva et al. (2022: 12).—Illustration: Berg (1949: 894–895, figs. 644–645) as Cobitis aurata .

Status in Afghanistan. First record from Afghanistan by Bănărescu & Nalbant (1966: 180) as Sabanejewia aurata aurata ; confirmed by Coad (1981: 15; 2014: 239 as Sabanejewia aralensis ; 2015: 227).—Afghanistan materials: None.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan: Tedzhen and Murgab Rivers.—General distribution: Eurasia: Caspian Sea basin.—Habitat: This species occurs in primarily hill streams with moderate current, clear water, and bottoms with sand or fine gravel. Freshwater.

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan: Unknown.—IUCN: LC (Freyhof 2014).—Threats: CON.— High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Decreasing.—Moderate priority for conservation action.