Paraschistura delvarii, Mousavi-Sabet & Eagderi, 2015

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 559-560

Paraschistura delvarii

Common name. Qareh Aqaj loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Paraschistura in West Asia by: ○ dorsal origin situated above, or very slightly behind vertical of pelvic origin / ○ suborbital flap or groove absent in male / ○ flank and back completely covered by scales / ○ lateral line incomplete / ○ no dorsal adipose crest / ○ caudal emarginate / ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.2–1.9 times longer than deep / ○ snout blunt / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / ○ very variable colour pattern of irregularly shaped and set, often faded bars and blotches on flank / ○ a bold black or brown spot at base of first dorsal rays / ○ an irregularly shaped black bar at caudal base in some populations / ○ predorsal distance 52–56 % SL / ○ distance between tip of pelvic and anus 7–11 % SL. Size up to 51 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Qareh Aqaj and Firozabad in Mond drainage.

Habitat. Fast to slow-flowing streams with gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

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

Further reading. Mousavi-Sabet & Eagderi 2015 (description); Sayyadzadeh et al. 2018b (description).

Paraschistura hormuzensis ; Minhab drainage, Iran; ~ 45 mm SL.