Paraschistura naumanni, Freyhof, Sayyadzadeh, Esmaeili & Geiger, 2015

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 564

Paraschistura naumanni

Common name. Persian banded 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 / ○ back and flank fully covered by scales / ○ snout blunt / ○ absence of a long dorsal adipose crest / ○ lateral line incomplete / ○ caudal emarginate / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / ○ very variable colour pattern of irregularly shaped and set, often faded bars and blotches on flank / ○ pelvic reaching to a point about 1.0–2.0 eye diameter in front of anus / ○ no dorsal adipose crest / ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.7–2.0 times longer than deep / ○ a bold or faint black spot at base of first dorsal rays in some populations / ○ a complete black bar at caudal base in some populations / ○ distance between anus and tip of pelvic 4–7 % SL. Size up to 51 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Kor basin and Kol and Mond drainages.

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

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; appears to be declining in its small range, where stream desiccation is a major challenge.

Remarks. In the Kol drainage, P. naumanni occurs in sympatry with P. abdolii and P. delvarii . Whether all three species occur in syntopy or are geographically separated within Kol drainage remains unclear. Oxynoemacheilus persa is another loach species found in Mond. Paraschistura naumanni shows a large variability in colour patterns within and between different populations, and fish from other sites may look very different.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2015 (description).

Spring Golabi in Iran is the habitat of Paraschistura naumanni , Esmaeilius darabensis , Mystus cyrusi , and other regional endemic species. Paraschistura nielseni ; Helleh drainage, Iran; ~ 45 mm SL.