Oxynoemacheilus zagrosensis, Kamangar, Prokofiev, Ghaderi & Nalbant, 2014

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 539-540

Oxynoemacheilus zagrosensis

Common name. Mottled Choman loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Tigris drainage by: ● posterior process of bony air-bladder capsule directed posteriorly / ○ flank mottled / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ flank completely covered by scales / ○ dorsal profile convex / ○ suborbital groove absent in male / ○ one central pore in supratemporal canal / ○ no median incision in upper lip / ○ lateral line complete, terminating behind vertical of anal base or at caudal base / ○ colour pattern on anterior part of flank not interrupted by unpigmented zone along lateral line. Size up to 61 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Choman drainage, a tributary of Lesser Zab.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing and standing waters of streams, backwaters, and springs with muddy bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Oxynoemacheilus zarzianus ; Lesser Zab drainage, Iraq; 55 mm SL.

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

Remarks. See remarks at O. chomanicus .

Further reading. Kamangar et al. 2014 (description); Sayyadzadeh & Esmaeili 2020 (discussion of Iranian and Anatolian populations of Oxynoemacheilus frenatus ).

Oxynoemacheilus zarzianus ; Lesser Zab drainage, Iraq; 62 mm SL.