Paraschistura turcmenica (Berg, 1932)

Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash, Ghanavi, Hamid Reza & Doadrio, Ignacio, 2020, Fig. 4 in Fig. 4 in Fig. 3 in Fig. 21. Sesarmops mora n in Paralbunea dayriti, Zoological Studies 59 (21), pp. 1-303 : 203

Paraschistura turcmenica (Berg, 1932) – Native

( Fig. 378)

Nemachilus turcmenicus Berg [L. S.] 1932: 149; Type locality: Keltechinar River [Cherokh River] near Gyaurs (37°47'N, 58°44'E), Turkmenistan. Syntypes: ZIN 11064 (3).

Common name: Pr: Loch-e Torkamani, Sagmahi-e Torkamani, En: Turkmen Loach.

Diagnosis: Complete absence of scales, irregularly shaped and set bars on the flank, often dissociated into a marmorate pattern or a row of midlateral blotches and a row of saddles on the back, absence of a suborbital flap, a blunt snout, absence of a dorsal adipose crest and an incomplete lateral line and very slender body (body depth at dorsal fin origin 13–15 % SL).

Meristic characters: D: 7, A: 5, P: 7–9, V: 6–7, LL: incomplete, reaching to a point slightly in front of dorsal fin origin or below dorsal fin base, SC: naked, DP: small and pointed, PA: present, SOG: absent.

Distribution: Kavir, Hari and Bejestan basins ( Fig. 379). Found in Kalat, Hari, Akhlamad and Nobarhar rivers.

Taxonomy: Berg (1949) synonymised with Nemacheilus sargadensis, Coad (1995) placed turcmenica in Nemacheilus sargadensis as subspecies and Freyhof et al. (2015) regard as full species and transferred to Paraschistura .

Conservation: IUCN: Not Evaluated, PC: Least Concern. This widespread species occurs in high number in numerous localities across its distribution r a n g e a n d n o k n o w n t h r e a t s e e m s t o a ff e c t i t s populations.