Anatolichthys maeandricus (Aksiray, 1948)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 708-709

Anatolichthys maeandricus

Common name. Büyük Menderes killifish.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Anatolichthys by: ● male with a white line or a row of white spots or blotches along or distinctly above black dorsal base / ○ dorsal completely black or with grey distal margin / ○ last dark-brown bar irregularly or diamond-shaped, usually fused with pre-last bar / ○ male with bright yellow anal with narrow black margin / ○ male with 1–4 bold black vertical bars on caudal / ○ male with flank bars behind dorsal origin wider than interspaces / ○ female with numerous black spots not organised in midlateral rows / ○ body completely covered with overlapping scales. Size up to 45 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Springs of Büyük Menderes near Işıklı, Pınarbaşı spring near Karakuyu and Düden Pınarı at Dinar.

Habitat. Springs with dense underwater vegetation.

Biology. Live up to 3 years; biology as described in genus section.

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

Remarks. Several records of Anatolichthys from the middle and lower Büyük Menderes drainage exist, none of which have been confirmed in recent decades.

Further reading. Akşıray 1948 (description); Geiger et al. 2014 (phylogeny); Yoğurtçuoğlu & Freyhof 2018 (identification).

Anatolichthys marassantensis ; Kayseri, Türkiye; female, 40 mm SL. Anatolichthys marassantensis ; Kayseri, Türkiye; male, 36 mm SL.