Cobitis battalgilae, Bacescu, 1962

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 442-443

Cobitis battalgilae

Common name. Beyşehir spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Mediterranean basin east of Eşen and endorheic basins in Central Anatolia by: ○ two laminae circularis in male / ○ pigmentation organised in Gambetta zones / ○ blotches in Z4 being usually dissociated, usually vertically elongate, often forming a band or an open field of small, irregularly shaped blotches and spots in female larger than 90 mm SL / ○ blotches in Z4 often vertically and horizontally dissociated into several rows or a wide band of small blotches and spots / ○ blotches in Z 4 in not forming stripes, usually much larger than in Z2 / ○ mid-dorsal pigmentation consisting in a series of blotches, often very closely set or slightly fused / ○ a black spot at upper caudal base, often very small and comma-shaped / ○ anterior nare reaching to hint margin of posterior nare when folded down

Further reading. Coad 2010a (record from Iraq); Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2015e (description).

/ ○ external part of suborbital spine bifurcate / ○ snout as long or shorter than distance between tip of anal and end of hypural complex / ○ caudal peduncle 14–16 % SL / ○ interorbital distance 14–16 % HL in male / ○ eye diameter in male 16–20 % HL. Size up to 137 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Lake Beyşehir basin in Çeltek in very north and in spring Eflatunpınarı in east of lake (and maybe elsewhere). Also, in Apa reservoir and in river that flows out of Lake Suğla and ends in Konya plains, as well as in Manavgat that flows to Gulf of Antalya.

Habitat. Running waters with gravel, sand, or silt bottoms, often with dense submerged vegetation.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; less than 10 populations are known; some declining but may be more widespread.

Remarks. Closely related to C. turcica , and few individuals might be difficult to distinguish. Cobitis battalgilae grows

Cobitis battalgilae ; spring Eflatun Pınarı, Türkiye; female, 135 mm SL.

much larger than C. turcica . The distribution area of C. battalgilae reflects the hydrological connections of Lake Beyşehir, which seasonally flows over to Lake Suğla, from which some parts of water flow to the Konya plain, and other parts of water flow into the karstic rock masses supporting springs in Manavgat drainage through underground connections.

The colour pattern in C. battalgilae is especially variable within and between populations. Some individuals, usually males smaller than 70 mm SL, lack the pigmentation in Z3, and there is one series of squarish blotches in Z4. Other individuals have the Z3 partly or fully pigmented, and the blotches in Z4 are vertically elongate,

Cobitis bilseli ; Beyşehir canal, Türkiye; ~ 190 mm SL.