Carasobarbus canis (Valenciennes, 1842)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 147-149

Carasobarbus canis

Common name. Jordan himri.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Carasobarbus in Persian Gulf and Mediterranean basins by: ● head grey and caudal peduncle and caudal yellow in adults larger than 100 mm SL / ○ usually 12 circumpeduncular scales / ○ lower lip without median lobe / ○ last unbranched dorsal ray usually markedly shorter than head / ○ usually 7−9 gill rakers / ○ head length 24−29 % SL / ○ two pairs of barbels / ○ 29−35 total scales along lateral line. Size up to 550 mm SL.

Distribution. Jordan drainage. Introduced to Azraq Oasis in Jordan and coastal rivers Na‘aman and Yarqon in Israel, now all extirpated.

Habitat. A wide range of rivers,lakes,and marshes.Spawns along banks, usually on hard bottoms.

Biology. Spawns December−January (Lake Tiberias). Eggs adhere to substrate. Diet consists of fish, invertebrates, algae, and detritus. Relative proportion of fish in diet increases with body length. Mirogrex are their main prey in Lake Tiberias.

Carasobarbus canis ; Jordan drainage, Syria; 180 mm SL.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Records from Euphrates drainage are based on misidentifications.

Further reading. Ben-Tuvia 1978(biology);Spataru& Gophen (1985b) (feeding); Fishelson et al. 1996 (reproduction); Tsigenopoulos et al. 2010 (phylogeny); Borkenhagen et al. 2011 (phylogeny);Borkenhagen &Krupp 2013(description,distribution).

Reservoir of Yarmuk in Jordan. Carasobarbus can establish large populations in artificial waterbodies.

Carasobarbus chantrei ; Orontes drainage, Türkiye; 155 mm SL.