Oxynoemacheilus gyndes, Freyhof & Abdullah, 2017

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 509

Oxynoemacheilus gyndes

Common name. Zalm loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Tigris drainage by: ● lateral line incomplete, terminating slightly behind pectoral base / ● body naked except very dorsal part of caudal peduncle / ● a midlateral series of small, horizontally elongated, dark-brown blotches often fused into an irregularly shaped midlateral stripe, one additional stripe above and below midlateral stripe in many individuals / ○ 3–4 lateral pores and no central pore in supratemporal canal / ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ suborbital groove absent

Oxynoemacheilus hamwii ; lower Orontes drainage, Türkiye; 60 mm SL.

in male / ○ upper lip without median incision. Size up to 57 mm SL.

Distribution. Iraq: Zalm, a headwater of Sirvan in Tigris drainage.

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

Biology. No data.

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

Remarks. Oxynoemacheilus gyndes is a very distinctive species, not closely related to other loaches in its genus.

Further reading. Freyhof & Abdullah 2017 (description).