Gobio nigrescens (Keyserling, 1861)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 263-264

Gobio nigrescens

Common name. Hari gudgeon.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from G. caucasicus , the geographically most adjacent species in Caspian basin by: ○ pectoral reaching 3–5 scales in front of pelvic origin in mature male / ○ no scales on chest and between pectorals. Size up to 95 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Lake Beyşehir basin and upper Göksu and Limon drainages in Mediterranean basin.

Habitat. Slow to moderate-flowing streams with sandy and gravelly bottoms, often with very dense aquatic vegetation.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; appears to be in decline within its small range.

Remarks. Gobio battalgilae is a synonym.

Further reading. Battalgil 1942 (description); Naseka et al. 2006 (description as G. battalgilae ); Turan et al. 2018b (identification); Turan & Bayçelebi 2019 (Mediterranean records).

Distribution. Hari drainage in Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. Amu Darya and Zeravshan in Central Asia (recorded from Uzbekistan). Also, in Kashaf ( Iran).

Habitat. Slow to moderate-flowing streams and rivers with sandy or gravelly bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC; extirpated from Kashaf drainage.

Remarks. This species is not related to other West Asian gudgeons but belongs to a group of Central Asian and Siberian species. It is sometimes identified as G. lepidolaemus from the adjacent Aral basin, from which it differs in chest without scale (vs. covered with scales), more scale rows on the caudal peduncle (½3/1/3½ vs. ½2/1/2½) and 16

Gobio sakaryaensis ; Sakarya drainage, Türkiye; ~ 100 mm SL.