Cyprinion milesi (Day, 1880)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 170-173

Cyprinion milesi

Common name. Bighead lotak.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cyprinion in Persian Gulf and Iranian endorheic basins by: ● mouth subterminal, oblique in lateral view, clearly U-shaped / ○ no lateral lobes or pad on lower lip / ○ 11−12 gill rakers / ○ 34−39 total lateral-line scales / ○ last unbranched dorsal ray variably thick, weakly to strongly ossified and variably serrated / ○ dorsal margin straight / ○ 10−13½ branched dorsal rays / ○ back in front of dorsal usually without naked median area / ○ scales present on belly. Size up to 190 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Tang-e Sarhe toward Sarbaz and Mashkid, reported from Akar Kaur (Gwadar/ Pakistan), both adjacent in Makran region. Also, in endorheic basins in Pakistan such as Kalat and Quetta, in Bampur

and near Guadjik in Baschakird mountains, and in Panjgur basin.

Habitat. Streams and pools with fresh or brackish waters.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; thought to be declining in its small range, mainly due to desiccation of streams.

Remarks. A subterminal and moderately oblique mouth (in lateral view) is also found in individuals identical to C. microphthalmum in their mitochondrial DNA . The taxonomic status of C. milesi -like fishes in Iran requires further study. Cyprinion milesi is very similar to C. watsoni from the Indus, and it needs to be clarified if both are distinct.

Further reading. Mirza 1972 (distribution); Howes 1982 (anatomy); Nasri et al. 2013 (morphometrics); Nasri et al. 2016 (morphology); Coad 2021a (biology, morphology).

Cyprinion cf. microphthalmum ; Minhab, Iran; long head form, ~ 110 mm SL.

Cyprinion milesi in Iran. Cyprinion milesi is readily distinguishable from other Cyprinion species in West Asia by its subterminal, clearly U-shaped mouth, which lacks the sharp cutting-edge characteristic of most Cyprinion . There are numerous records of C. milesi from the southern Persian Gulf basin in Iran, all based on Cyprinion with a subterminal, clearly U-shaped mouth, without a cutting edge on the lower jaw. These C. milesi are often found at the same localities as C. microphthalmum . It has been proposed that C. milesi is merely a morph of the latter species, retaining juvenile features in the mouth’s structure. During the fieldwork for this book, we examined such individuals. Except for the head and mouth shape, these fish are indistinguishable from the syntopic C. microphthalmum . Mitochondrial molecular data support the view that these are aberrant individuals of C. microphthalmum . However, it cannot be ruled out that these are C. milesi carrying mtDNA of C. microphthalmum due to past introgressive hybridisation. Cyprinion milesi carrying its own mtDNA has been found in a few rivers, e.g., Bahukalat, Tang-e Sarhe, and Iranian Sarbarz. However, it is expected to be more common in adjacent Pakistan. In the future, it would be beneficial to conduct further research into the evolutionary and ontogenetic background of “aberrant” individuals of C. microphthalmum .

Cyprinion muscatense ; Wadi Bani Khalid, Oman ; ~ 90 mm SL.

Cyprinion muscatense Fast-moving, active, mid-water dweller, usually found in Common name. Hajar lotak. small schools. In isolated pools, adults are generally very Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cyprinion in wary of human presence and initially remain hidden or in Arabian Peninsula by: ● last unbranched dorsal ray short, deeper areas close to hiding places;this may be an adaptation thin, and serrated along only proximal third of ray in large to predation by piscivorous birds. During spawning season, individuals / ● 14−16 circumpeduncular scales / ○ 37−41 total adults develop a distinctive pale blue colouration on antelateral-line scales / ○ 6−7 scales between lateral line and rior part of body, particularly lips and pectoral fins. Colour dorsal origin. Size up to 134 mm SL. changes from mottled golden juveniles to silvery-grey adults. Distribution. Oman and United Arab Emirates: Wadis of Juveniles are also proportionally thinner, i.e., body is less Hajar mountains. deep. Feeds on periphyton, opportunistically on aquatic and Habitat. Wadis with large seasonal variations in flow. terrestrial invertebrates,and occasionally on plant material. Adults occupy larger pools than juveniles. Spawns in Conservation status. LC.

flowing water on gravel beds. Remarks. This species is widespread in Hajar mountains. Biology. First spawns at 8−13 months. Fractional spawner, While the sympatric Garra are separated into different species, individual females spawn several times in a season. Sur- all populations of C. muscatense are very closely related.

vives more than 20 years in captivity; no data available from Further reading. Alkahem & Behnke 1983; Krupp 1983 wild, but life expectancy in wild is likely to be much shorter. (description);Freyhof et al. 2020 (distribution,identification).

Cyprinion tenuiradius ; Mond, Iran; ~ 90 mm SL. © H. R. Esmaeili.

Cyprinion tenuiradius ; Golabi spring, Iran; ~ 100 mm SL.