Squalius aristotelis, Ozulug & Freyhof, 2011

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 403-404

Squalius aristotelis

Common name. Tuzla chub.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Squalius in Western and Central Anatolia by: ● upper lip short, not or very slightly projecting beyond tip of lower lip / ○ mouth terminal or slightly subterminal in adults / ○ dorso-hypural distance reaching anterior half of eye when reported forwards / ○ silvery or golden in life / ○ no stripe on flank / ○ anal rays orange in live, blackish in preserved individuals, membranes hyaline / ○ upper lip thick, its anterior depth 3.8–5.8 times in its lateral length / ○ dorsal origin above middle of pelvic base / ○ upper head profile convex / ● snout rounded / ○ 40–45+2–3 lateral-line scales / ○ a dark-brown or black spot or blotch on flank scale pockets and at predorsal scales / ○ belly between anus and posterior extremity of pelvic base distinctly compressed / ○ prepelvic distance 53–55 % HL / ○ anal length 68–78 % HL / ○ interorbital area convex, its width 37–41 % HL / ○ head depth at nape 46–51 % HL. Size up to 183 mm SL, likely to grow larger.

Squalius aristotelis ; stream Behramkale, Türkiye; ~ 110 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Tuzla drainage entering Aegean at Assos.

Habitat. Streams with Mediterranean water regime.

Biology. No data.

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

Remarks. Records from other coastal streams could not be confirmed. This species is distributed between the ranges of S. cii and S. fellowesii , and molecular data strongly suggest that S. aristotelis may be a species of hybrid origin. Its population includes individuals with mtDNA haplotypes of neighboring S. cii and haplotypes associated with the large population complex identified here as S. cappadocicus .

Further reading. Özuluğ & Freyhof 2011 (description).

Squalius berak ; Qweiq drainage, Türkiye; 145 mm SL. Squalius berak ; upper Euphrates drainage, Türkiye; 160 mm SL.