Garra sindhae, Lyon, Geiger & Freyhof, 2016

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 218

Garra sindhae

Common name. Andhur garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Dhofar ( Oman ) by: ● prominent hump on back in some individuals /○ 33–36 total lateral-line scales / ○ 14(−16) circumpeduncular scales / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / ○ 8−13 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch / ○ chest and belly behind pectoral origin fully covered by deeply embedded scales / ○ gular disc usually wider than long / ○ tubercles on snout absent / ○ dorsal hyaline or pale-brown with black spots at bases of branched rays / ○ groove between tip of snout and nostrils shallow or absent / ○ eye fully developed. Size up to 82 mm SL.

Distribution. Oman : Wadi Andhur in Dhofar region.

Garra smartae ; Wadi Hasik, Oman ; 58 mm SL.© J. Els.

Habitat. Wadis with high seasonal fluctuations in discharge.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. CR; restricted to a short stretch of Wadi Andhur. There appears to be no direct threat from human activity, but reduced rainfall due to climate change could threaten this species.

Remarks. Mistakenly treated as a synonym of G. dunsirei , which is quite distinct and, as a subterranean species, has its own distinct evolutionary history compared to G. sindhae . Described as G. sindhi , but the species name is dedicated to a female and must, therefore, be declinate to G. sindhae . Further reading. Lyon et al. 2016 (description, phylogeny); Freyhof et al. 2020 (distribution, identification); Sayyadzadeh et al. 2023 (phylogeny).