Tariqilabeo adiscus (Annandale, 1919)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 246-247

Tariqilabeo adiscus

Common name. Sistan latia.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from T. macmahoni by: ● two pairs of relatively long barbels / ● 3−5, usually 4, scales between anus and anal origin / ● 19−22 total gill rakers / ● maximum body depth 17−22 % SL. Size up to 93 mm SL.

Distribution. Afghanistan and Iran: Sistan basin, including Helmand drainage. Iran: Zehak, Chahnime reservoirs, and Hamun Lakes.

glandular openings and irregularly arranged hard ridges. Eight species are known. Their systematics and diversity have not been well studied, and numerous changes in taxonomy are expected in the future. Previously, species were included in the Southeast Asian genus Crossocheilus and Gonorhynchus . Crossocheilus is now restricted to a few species related to C. siamensis and is only found from Myanmar to the east. Further reading. Kottelat 2016 (generic name).

Habitat. Wide range of slow-flowing and stagnant-water habitats. Common in small streams with rocky or muddy bottoms, irrigation ditches, reedbed channels, and pools.

Biology. Bottom feeders, feeding on detritus and algae.

Conservation status. LC; situation in Helmand unknown.

Remarks. Despite conflicting opinions, we maintain this species as valid and that fish from the Helmand drainage reportedly have 20–26 gill rakers. More material needs to be examined better to understand the diversity of Tariqilabeo

Tariqilabeo macmahoni ; Sarbaz, Iran; ~ 75 mm SL.

in West Asia. Often identified as Crossocheilus latius , a species of Tariqilabeo from India from which it differs in having 19–22 gill rakers (vs. 37–39 in T. latius ) and 34–38 total lateral-line scales (vs. 39–41).

Further reading. Annandale 1919 (description); Sayyadzadeh et al. 2015a (description, as Gonorhynchus adiscus ); Behrens-Chapuis et al. 2015 (molecular phylogeny, as Gonorhynchus adiscus ); Coad 2021a (biology, distribution).