Paracobitis ghazniensis ( Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1966 )

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 : 10

Paracobitis ghazniensis ( Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1966)

[E]— Ghazni loach

Taxonomy. Original description: Noemacheilus ghazniensis Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1966: 162 [Ghazni River at Ghazni (33°33’N, 68°26’E), tributary of Ab-i-Istadah Lake, Helmand drainage, Afghanistan; holotype: BMNH 1944.4.1.1].— Afghanistan synonyms: Noemacheilus ghaznienesis Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1966 ; Nemacheilus ghazniensis Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1966 .—Revisions: Prokofiev (2009: 888).—Illustration: Bănărescu & Nalbant (1966: fig. 7; pl. 20, figs. 4–5).

Status in Afghanistan. Recorded from Afghanistan in original description by Bănărescu & Nalbant (1966) as Noemacheilus ghazniensis ); confirmed by Coad (1981: 14 as Noemacheilus (Paracobitis) ghaznienesis ; 2014: 253; 2015: 228).—Afghanistan materials: BMNH.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan: Ghazni River.—General distribution: Northern-central Asia: Afghanistan endemic.—Habitat: This species occurs in streams with moderately to fast-flowing freshwater in both mountainous and lowlands. Freshwater.

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan: Unknown.—IUCN: NE (2023).—Threats: Unknown.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.—High priority for conservation action.