Cobitis faridpaki

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 450-451

Cobitis faridpaki

Common name. Siahrud spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Caspian and Lake Namak basins by: ○ one lamina circularis in male /○ base of lamina circularis with a narrow connection to pectoral ray / ○ cheek between eye and opercle poorly pigmented or unpigmented / ○ plate of lamina circularis reaching to or beyond end of third segment of attached pectoral ray / ○ dark-brown spot at upper caudal base well developed / ○ subdorsal scales with a small focal zone, about or less than ⅒ of maximum scale diameter. Size up to 90 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Eastern Caspian basin from Khey east to Gorgan, Karaj in Lake Namak basin, and Taar and Havir in upper Nam drainage in Western Kavir basin.

Habitat. Running and stagnant waters with sandy bottoms, often with dense submerged vegetation.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Cobitis keyvani from eastern Caspian basin is a synonym. Most probably Western Kavir population was translocated to upper Nam drainage.

Further reading. Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2011 (description); Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2012 (description of C. keyvani ); Eagderi et al. 2017a (Lake Namak); Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. 2017a ( C. keyvani as a synonym of C. faridpaki ).

Cobitis indus ; Dalaman, Türkiye; female (upper) and male (lower), ~ 50 mm SL.© S. Aksu.