Luciobarbus pectoralis (Heckel, 1843)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 237-239

Luciobarbus pectoralis

Common name. Levantine barbel.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Luciobarbus in Mediterranean basin by: ○ 48–58 total lateral-line scales / ○ 8–13 gill rakers on lower arch / ○ 10–11 scale rows between dorsal origin and lateral line / ○ 7–8 scale row between anal origin and lateral line. Size up to 470 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye and Syria: Göksu east to Orontes drainage. Absent in between Göksu and Seyhan drainages.

Habitat. Medium to large streams and rivers. Also, in reservoirs from which it migrates to rivers or streams to spawn. Absent from cold mountain streams and springs. Often abundant at edge of rapids or riffles.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Often reported to occur in Euphrates and Tigris drainages, but none of these reports have been confirmed. Most likely, all records are based on misidentified specimens of L. schejch . Luciobarbus lorteti , described from Lake Amik in Orontes drainage, is treated as a synonym of L. pectoralis . Luciobarbus lorteti was distinguished from L. pectoralis by the presence of a molariform (vs. normally developed) 4 th pharyngeal

Luciobarbus schejch ; Tigris, Türkiye; 195 mm SL.

tooth. Such individuals are still found in the wild. Fish with a molariform 4 th pharyngeal tooth have no other distinguishing characters, and molecular data do not allow them to be distinguished from L. pectoralis . The shape of the 4 th pharyngeal tooth may be related to the size of individual and likely to the availability and use of hard-shelled prey such as molluscs.

Further reading. Krupp 1985c ( B. lorteti ); Krupp 1985d (distribution, description); Bayçelebi 2020 (distribution).

Luciobarbus schejch ; Lesser Zab, Iraq; 143 mm SL. Luciobarbus schejch ; Sosangerd, Iran; 331 mm SL; 229 mm SL.

Luciobarbus schejch ; Tigris, Iraq; 259 mm SL.

Luciobarbus schejch the two species is common. Usually, male L. schejch spawns Common name. Gattan. with female L. esocinus . Luciobarbus schejch with mito-

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Luciobar- chondria of L. schejch (not L. esocinus ) have been identified bus in Persian Gulf basin by: ● back and upper flank yel- as L. kersin . Luciobarbus schejch with its own mitochonlowish or brown, lower flank yellowish or cream white dria and those with mitochondria of L. escocinus are widein life, blackish or grey in large individuals / ○ head not spread, occur in sympatry, and are indistinguishable by strongly pointed, not depressed, barbel-like / ○ dorsal head morphological characters. Luciobarbus kersin is a synonym profile convex / ○ mouth inferior or subterminal in very of L. schejch . Luciobarbus schejch is often known as L. large individuals / ○ snout length 1.1–1.9 times in postor- barbulus or, in parts of its range, as L. mystaceus . Luciobital length / ○ 50–62 total lateral-line scales / ○ 11–24 gill barbus barbulus is a junior synonym of L. schejch . Luciorakers / ○ lips fleshy, usually with median pad, lips hyper- barbus mystaceus has been described from the Kura in trophied in some individuals / ○ juveniles without small Georgia, and this species is a synonym of L. capito . Barbus dark-brown spots on upper flank. Size up to 800 mm SL rajanorum, described from Aleppo, is a hybrid of L. schejch and 30 kg (such large individuals might be hybrids with and Capoeta damascina .

L. esocinus ). Further reading. Khaefi et al. 2017b (as L. barbulus );

Distribution. Euphrates, Tigris, Karun drainages, and Coad 2010a (biology, distribution as L. pectoralis , L. barcoastal rivers of Persian Gulf south to Kol. bulus, and L. xanthopterus ); Coad 2021a (biology, mor-

Habitat. Large streams, mountain and lowland rivers, phology, as L. barbulus ); Freyhof et al. 2025a (taxonomic lakes, reservoirs, and marshes, from which it migrates into revision).

tributaries to spawn. Spawns on gravel substrate in shallow

areas of large rivers in 30−150 cm water depths.

Biology. Lives up to 11 years, probably longer. Maturity of

males at 3 years and about 330 mm SL, females at 6 years

and about 600 mm SL. Spawns June–August (Mosul), at dusk

until just before midnight, with loud splashing, jumping,

and chasing. Exclaims large areas of gravel to spawn in

“nests.” Spawns once a year. Tolerant of low oxygen and

moderate salinity. Feeds on a wide variety of aquatic inver-

tebrates, small fish, detritus, and plants. Locally, molluscs

are an important prey item.

Conservation status. LC; extirpated from Qweiq. Estab-

lishes large populations in reservoirs. Highly overexploited

in large rivers.

Remarks. Many, but not all, individuals of L. schejch carry

mitochondria from L. esocinus , as hybridisation between

Luciobarbus subquincunciatus ; Tigris, Türkiye; 500 mm SL.© M. Oral