Paracobitis zabgawraensis, Freyhof, Esmaeili, Sayyadzadeh & Geiger, 2014

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 551-552

Paracobitis zabgawraensis

Common name. Greater Zab crested loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Paracobitis by: ● body almost plain brown with narrow reticulate yellowish pattern / ○ pelvic origin below or very slightly in front of dorsal origin / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ no or a very small pelvic axillary lobe / ○ flank behind dorsal origin covered with small, deeply embedded scales / ○ posterior narial opening roundish. / ○ predorsal length 49–56 % SL / ○ prepelvic length 50–53 % SL / ○ outer rostral

Paracobitis zabgawraensis ; headwater of Great Zab, Iraq; 73 mm SL.

barbel 16–24 % HL / ○ maxillary barbel 19–27 % HL. Size up to 77 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Upper Yanarsu, Botan, and Nerduş drainages; Greater Zab drainage in Türkiye and Iraq.

Habitat. Streams with coarse gravel and moderate to fast-flowing water.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2014b (description); Kaya et al. 2020c (distribution).

The Nerduş in Türkiye is the habitat of Paracobitis zabgawraensis , Turcinoemacheilus ekmekciae , Glyptothorax daemon , Oxynoemacheilus kentritensis , O. marunensis and many other stream fishes.

Turkmenistan. It is anticipated that some species of India’s large loach diversity may belong to this genus. The genus Paraschistura was first described in 2009, and 24 species are currently recognised, 16 of which are found in West Asia. The genus Metaschistura is a synonym. Several osteological characters diagnose Paraschistura . In Iran, all species except P. aredvii , P. nielseni , P. ilamensis , and P. susiani can be readily identified by a prominent black spot at the base of the first dorsal rays. The diversity of Paraschistura species in Iran has been well-studied, but knowledge of diversity in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan is very poor. It is anticipated that further unidentified species will be discovered in these regions. Further reading. Mirza et al. 1981 ( Pakistan); Prokofiev 2009 (description); Freyhof et al. 2015 (revision in West Asia, Metaschistura synonym, phylogeny).