Oxynoemacheilus araxensis (Banarescu & Nalbant, 1978)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 485-486

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111677811
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17820754
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C85F87D2-FE58-FE12-2B39-FB5CFD7DFB3D
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Oxynoemacheilus araxensis
status

Treatment

Oxynoemacheilus araxensis View in CoL

Common name. Erzurum loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Euphrates drainage by: ○ caudal slightly emarginate / ○ lateral line complete / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ flank mottled or with 6–9 irregularly shaped dark-grey blotches, often fused, forming a lateral stripe / ○ caudal peduncle without high adipose crest or ridge / ○ flank covered by scales. Size up to 90 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Upper Karasu, a tributary of Euphrates west of Erzurum.

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing streams.

Biology. No data.

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

Remarks. Despite its name, this species is restricted to the Euphrates drainage and has not been found in the Aras (Caspian basin).

Further reading. Bănărescu et al. 1978 (description); Freyhof et al. 2019 (distribution).

486 Family Nemacheilidae

Oxynoemacheilus argyrogramma ; Merziman, Euphrates, Türkiye; 56 mm SL.

Oxynoemacheilus argyrogramma ; Qweiq drainage, Türkiye; 50 mm SL.