Gobio sakaryaensis, Turan, Ekmekci, Luskova & Mendel, 2012

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 264-266

Gobio sakaryaensis

Common name. Sakarya gudgeon.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Gobio in Anatolia by: ○ 39–42 total lateral-line scales / ○ chest completely scaled, scales extending forward to isthmus / ○ head length 27–30 % SL / ○ pectoral reaching 3–4 scales in front of pelvic origin in mature male / ○ 6–8 scales between posterior extremity of pelvic base and anus / ○ interorbital distance 1.4–1.6 times in eye diameter / ○ 6–7 scale rows between dorsal origin and lateral line / ○ pelvic reaching

circumpeduncular scales (vs. 12–14). Gobio populations found in Morghab and rivers of Kopek Dag in Turkmenistan are awaiting identification and may belong to this species.

Further reading. Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2016a (description); Sheraliev & Peng 2021 (distribution in Uzbekistan).

behind anus in female / ○ head profile behind nostrils straight or slightly convex / ○ snout rounded, distinctly concave anterior to nostril. Size up to 120 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Sakarya drainage.

Habitat. Small to medium-sized lowland and foothill streams with moderately fast-flowing water, sand, and gravel bottoms, and pool-riffle microhabitats.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Turan et al. 2012a (description).

Pseudorasbora Distribution. Very widespread in West Asia except Arabian A genus of six small species found in East Asia. Pseudor- Peninsula. In Anatolia mostly in western and central parts asbora parva is one of the world’s most successful invasive but increasing in Eastern Anatolia. Still rare in Iraq. Iran, fish species. It was first introduced from China to Europe including Hari drainage and Sistan and Mashkid basins. in the early 1960s as a by-product of Chinese carp aquacul- Also in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Native ture. Following the initial introduction, the establishment to Japan and Amur to Zhujiang (Pearl River) drainages of P. parva populations in European water bodies happened (Siberia, Korea, China).

quickly and reached Anatolia and the Caucasus. Conse- Habitat. Ubiquitous, in a large variety of habitats. Most quently, in less than six decades, P. parva has become wide- common in well-vegetated small channels, ponds, and small spread in central and western Europe, Türkiye, and Central lakes. Usually spawns in still or very slow-flowing water.

Asia.Genetic analysis of the European P. parva invasion indi- Biology. Lives up to 3,rarely 5 years.First spawns at 1 year if cates that two Chinese lineages from southern and northern larger than 35 mm SL.Male larger than female, with deeper China constitute the gene pool of all European and Anato- body and darker colour. Male with bluish-grey breeding lian populations. These two lineages exhibit a large hybrid colour and a few very large nuptial tubercles on snout. zone in Central China, suggesting that fish from that area Spawns March−June until October in Lake Eğirdir. Female may have been originally introduced to Europe. The initial spawns usually 3−4 times in a season. Male clear surface introduction of P. parva into the Iranian inland waters (first of a spawning site on stones or plants. Eggs are attached to recorded in 1991) was distinct from other Eurasian countries, substrate and guarded by male until larvae hatch. Feeds on as it originated from Japan.This is likely associated with com- various small crustaceans, insects, and plant material.

mercial links between Japan and Iran in the 1980s when Iran Conservation status. Non-native; introduced as a weed was politically isolated from Europe.Since then,the Japanese with stocked carp. Usually not abundant in fast-running lineage of P. parva has also spread to eastern Türkiye and has waters. Proliferates locally in ponds and other artificial habfound contacts with the Chinese P. parva in the border area itats,quickly becoming numerically dominant and a serious of Iran and Azerbaijan. Further reading. Hardouin et al. food competitor for native species. Also associated as a 2018 (phylogeography); Baltazar-Soares et al. 2020 (Dispersal vector of Sphaerothecum destruens , a generalist pathogen.

in Europe); Ganjali et al. 2020 (invasion of Iran). Remarks. First introduced in Romania in 1961 with fry of Ctenopharyngodon idella from middle Changjiang [Yangtze], Pseudorasbora parva and from Amur into Russia and Ukraine,from where it colo- Common name. Stone moroko. nised most of West Asia,North Africa, and Europe, either by Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Gobionidae active invasion, as stocked or released bait, or accidentally in West Asia by: ● mouth small, superior / ● barbels absent / mixed with fry of other species.

○ dark-grey midlateral stripe outside spawning time / Further reading. Bănărescu 1999a (biology); Britton et al. ○ 33–38 total lateral-line scales / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / 2007 (effects); Hardouin et al. 2018 (phylogeography); ○ no dorsal or ventral keels. Size up to 95 mm SL. Ganjali et al. 2020 ( Iran); Küçük et al. 2024b (biology).

Pseudorasbora parva ; Büyük Menderes drainage, Türkiye; ~ 80 mm SL.

Nuptial tubercles on the head of a male Pseudorasbora parva .

Romanogobio macropterus ; Kura drainage, Türkiye; ~ 100 mm SL. © M. Özuluğ.