Cobitis fahireae, Erk'akan, Atalay-Ekmekci & Nalbant, 1998

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 449-450

Cobitis fahireae

Common name. Aegean spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in eastern Aegean basin by: ● 12–18 roundish, triangular, squarish, or horizontally elongate blotches in Z4, often densely set and fused into short stripes along anterior and middle part of flank / ● blotches vertically elongate on posterior part of flank / ○ black spot at upper caudal base absent or comma-shaped,

smaller than eye diameter / ○ Z3 with a row or a narrow band of small spots not forming a sand-like pattern / ○ focal zone of subdorsal scale small / ○ blotches in Z2 and Z4 well separated, fused into a bold stripe in some individuals / ○ flank without pigmentation below zone Z4 / ○ one lamina circularis in male. Size up to 89 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Upper Dalaman drainage (around Gölhisar) north to Madra drainage in Aegean basin.

Habitat. Streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, usually on moderate diversity of different populations identified as sand or fine gravel in slow or moderate fast-flowing waters. C. fahireae within its large range, and we cannot fully exclude Biology. No data. that more than one species is involved. Initial examination of Conservation status. LC. several populations did not reveal any characters allowing to Remarks. Cobitis kurui , described from the Küçük Men- distinguish different populations as distinct species.

deres, and C. damlae from the upper Dalaman are synonyms. Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 1998 (description); Cobitis damlae was described for an albinotic individual Erk’akan & Özdemir 2014 ( Cobitis damlae ); Freyhof et al. miss-perceived as a cave fish. Molecular data indicate a 2018c (diagnosis, synonyms).

Cobitis faridpaki ; Tajan, Iran; male, 50 mm SL.