Phoxinus colchicus, Berg, 1910

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 358-359

Phoxinus colchicus

Common name. Caucasian minnow.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Phoxinus in West Asia by:● belly between pectoral bases entirely covered by scales in male, absent in female / ● a supraorbital ridge margined by a longitudinal depression extending from nostrils backwards / ● caudal-peduncle depth 2.1–2.9 times in its length / ○ 75–91 total lateral line scales. Size up to 82 mm SL.

Distribution. Caucasian Black Sea basin of Russia and Georgia south to Çoruh (Borçka, Türkiye). Records from Hopa (eastern Türkiye) not confirmed.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC; has a small range but its population trend seems to be stable and there are no major threats. Remarks. Closely related to P. strandjae and P. kottelati and it is expected that future research will demonstrate their conspecificity.

Further reading. Turan et al. 2023 (description).

Habitat. A wide range of cold and well-oxygenated habitats, from small, fast-flowing streams to large rivers. Spawns on clean gravel beds in flowing water.

Biology. Gregarious, rheophilic. Spawns April–July, in schools, fractional spawners, females lay sticky eggs deep in clean gravel. Feeds on invertebrates, algae, and detritus. Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Berg 1949b (description); Kottelat 2007 (systematics); Kottelat & Freyhof 2007 (biology, distribution); Bayçelebi et al. 2015 (record from Çoruh).

Phoxinus kottelati ; GÖnen drainage; female,~ 65 mm SL.

Phoxinus kottelati ; GÖnen drainage; male, ~ 60 mm SL.