Paraphanius boulengeri (Aksiray, 1948)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 750-757

Paraphanius boulengeri

Common name. Gölbaşı killifish.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Paraphanius by: ○ male bluish, black or dusty grey with roundish or elongated silvery spots on flank organised in vertical series / ○ silvery spots indistinct, overlaid by many fine, powder-like dots / ○ pelvic reaching to anal origin in adult male / ○ pre-dorsal distance 55–62 % SL / ○ pre-anal distance 62–64 % SL/ ○ interorbital distance 33–40 % HL / ○ female with pale-brown marbled pattern on flank / ○ female with pale-brown stripe between vertical of dorsal-base and caudal base / ○ female with silvery scales above and below stripe on caudal peduncle / ○ female with marbled pattern on back. Size up to 40 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Gölbaşı lakes in Adıyaman.

Habitat. Lakes and canals with or without dense underwater vegetation.

Biology. Live up to 4 years, mature in a few months, usually late in year of birth. Males establish territories along banks, usually in dense vegetation, defending against rivals. Females spawn with one or more males, usually in vegetation close to surface. Individual females produce several clutches in one day. Feeds on algae, detritus, and small invertebrates.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range. Its only habitat has been dominated by invasive Gambusia holbrooki .

Further reading. Akşıray 1948 (description).

Paraphanius boulengeri is endemic to GÖlbaşı lakes in Ceyhan drainage, a small endemicity hotspot in the region.

Paraphanius mento ; Orontes drainage, Syria; female, ~ 40 mm SL. Paraphanius mento ; Orontes drainage, Syria; male, ~ 45 mm SL. Paraphanius mento ; Spring of Barada, Syria; male, ~ 50 mm SL. Paraphanius cf. mento ; Shatt al Arab, Iraq; female, 32 mm SL; male, 31 mm SL. © A. Ali.

Paraphanius cf. mento ; Ein Feshkha, Israel; male, ~ 40 mm SL.

Paraphanius mento Sea basin and possibly elsewhere in Jordan drainage. Both Common name. Iridescent killifish. species have also hybridised extensively in the region. Par- Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Parapha- aphanius mento was described from Tigris at Mosul based nius by: ○ male bluish, black or dusty grey with roundish or on individuals with isolated iridescent spots. Fish from the elongated silvery spots on flank, spots might be organised in lower Tigris show a barred pattern in males (similar to P. vertical series or in longitudinal rows (with whitish bars in striptus ) and a marmorated pattern in females (vs. plain in lower Mesopotamia) / ○ silvery spots distinct, not overlaid P. striptus and other populations of P. mento ). These might by many fine, powder-like dots / ○ female with silvery spots not be conspecific with P. mento . Molecular characters and on each flank-scale (female with whitish blotches in lower details in colour pattern of fish from Mosul have not yet Mesopotamia) / ○ female without midlateral stripe or pale- been studied. Molecular analyses place fish from the Litani brown marbled pattern on flank / ○ pelvic not reaching to and upper Orontes, lowermost Tigris, Jordan, Damascus anal origin in adult male. Diagnostic character blurred as basin, and middle Orontes in three distinct clades, with P. several species seemed to be involved. Size up to 52 mm SL. striptus nested in between in some analyses. The diversity

Distribution. Tigris downstream of Mosul and common of P. mento will have to be re-examined when material from in marshes along Shatt al-Arab/Arvand. Upper Nahr al Mosul becomes available.

Khābūr in Syria, Damascus basin, Litani and Jordan drain- Further reading. Al-Daham et al. 1977 (biology).

ages, and Dead Sea basin (Ein Feshkha spring). Also, one

record in Qweiq and in very upper Orontes in Syria, down- Paraphanius mentoides

stream to Homs. Common name. Kırkgöz killifish.

Habitat. Slow-flowing rivers, lakes, and marshes usually Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Paraphaassociated with dense aquatic vegetation. nius by: ○ adults very large, often more than 60 mm SL /

Biology. Live up to 3 years, mature in a few months, usually ○ pre-dorsal distance 62–66 % SL / ○ pre-anal distance 67–72 % late in year of birth. Spawns April to July in southern Iraq. SL / ○ interorbital distance 32–33 % HL / ○ male bluish, black Males establish territories along banks, usually in dense or dusty grey with roundish or elongated silvery spots on vegetation, defending against rivals. Females spawn with flank, organised in vertical lines / ○ silvery lines distinct, one or more males, usually in vegetation close to surface. not overlaid by many fine, powder-like dots / ○ lower jaw Individual females produce several clutches in one day. strongly upturned / ○ background colour greenish, greyish Feeds on algae, detritus and small invertebrates. or dark-blue in male, upper part of head and back not Conservation status. LC; extirpated from Qweiq and orange / ○ female without silvery scales and without brown seems to have disappeared from Iranian part of Mesopota- stripe along lateral midline. Size up to 66 mm SL.

mian marshes. Distribution. Türkiye: Yamansaz marsh, Düden spring in

Remarks. There is a considerable population diversity Antalya, Kırkgöz spring and outflowing stream Yediarıklar. within P. mento , as recognised here. Paraphanius mento Introduced in Lake Nemrut, a volcano crater lake in East occurs in sympatry with P. striptus in the northern Dead Anatolia (not shown on map).

Paraphanius mentoides ; KırkgÖz spring, Türkiye; female, 60 mm SL. Paraphanius mentoides ; KırkgÖz spring, Türkiye; male, 58 mm SL.

Habitat. Lakeshores, springs, and spring-fed streams.

Biology. Live up to 7 years, mature after first winter. Spawns May–July. Males establish territories along banks, usually in dense vegetation, defending against rivals. Females spawn with one or more males, usually in vegetation close to surface. Individual females produce several

clutches in one day. Feeds on algae, detritus, and small invertebrates.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range.

Further reading. Akşıray 1948 (description); Güçlü & Küçük 2011 (reproduction, as Aphanius mento ).

Nemrut Crater Lake is the habitat of a non-native population of Paraphanius mentoides .

Paraphanius orontis ; Lake GÖlbaşı, Orontes drainage, Türkiye; female, 38 mm SL.

Paraphanius orontis ; Lake GÖlbaşı,Orontes drainage, Türkiye; male, 39 mm SL.