Garra shamal Kirchner, Kruckenhauser, Pichler, Borkenhagen & Freyhof, 2020

Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Jufaili, Saud Al, Masoumi, Amir Hassan & Zarei, Fatah, 2022, Ichthyodiversity in southeastern Arabian Peninsula: Annotated checklist taxonomy, short description and distribution of Inland fishes of Oman, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 451-503 : 470-472

7. Garra shamal Kirchner, Kruckenhauser, Pichler, Borkenhagen & Freyhof, 2020 , Endemic

Fig. 22

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

Common name: Muscat Garra, Shamal Garra .

Taxonomy: Garra shamal was described by Kirchner [S.], Kruckenhauser [L.], Pichler [A.], Borkenhagen [K.] & Freyhof [J.] 2020:533, figs. 8-11 [Zootaxa 4751 (no. 3);] from Wadi Sahtan, Oman, 23.384°N, 57.306°E .

Holotype: NMW-100004. Paratypes: FSJF, NMW. Plus additional non-type material .

Short description: Garra shamal is differentiated from the other species of Garra in the Hajar Mountain by absence of bold-black middle caudal-fin rays with white membranes (vs. present in other species). Garra shamal is further distinguished by having a strongly mottled flank pattern (vs. plain or almost plain in G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis ), a white dorsal-fin tip (vs. not different from rest of fin in G. gallagheri and G. longipinnis ), orange spot at the upper opercle absent (vs. present in G. barreimiae ), orange scales on the flank usually absent (vs. present in G. barreimiae ), and 10–14 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (vs. 15–18 in G. barreimiae ).

Distribution: Northern Hajar Mountains; Surur, Samail, Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate; Luzug, Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate; Al Samdi, Samail, Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate; Wadi Fanja, Wadi Bani Kharus, Wadi Sahtan, Wadi north-east of Al Amarat, Wadi Hammam, Wadi Hat, Wadi Khawd, Wadi Mansah, Oman ( Fig. 23 ).

Examined material: ZM-CBSU: O014. Gs 101, 20, Oman: Nakhal, 23°22ʹ51ʹʹN, 57°49ʹ36ʹʹE, H. R. Esmaeili, S.M. Al-Jufaili, A.H. Masoumi, Sep. 2021 .

Figures

FIGURE 22. Garra shamal, Oman: Nakhal.

FIGURE 23. Distribution map of an endemic fish, Garra shamal, Oman. Pink: Southwestern Arabian Coast, green: Oman Mountains, and yellow: Arabian Interior.