Garra rezai

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 209-210

Garra rezai

Common name. Tigris garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Persian Gulf and endorheic basins in Iran by: ○ two pairs of barbels / ○ chest with embedded scales / ○ belly and predorsal midline covered by scales, 15–19 scales along predorsal midline / ○ gular disc short and wide / ○ 35–40 total lateral-line scales / ○ 5½ (rarely 4½ and 6½) transverse scale rows between lateral line and dorsal origin / ○ 3½−4½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin / ○ 15–18 circumpeduncular scales / ○ 9+8 branched caudal rays / ○ axillary scale at pelvic origin large / ○ 11−16 total gill rakers / ○ lateral and distal margin of labrum of gular disc free from skin of chin / ○ usually 7½ branched dorsal rays /

From left: G. rufa , G. variabilis , G. elegans , lower row: G. klatti , G. festai , G. culiciphaga .

○ body brown, usually mottled / ○ eye fully developed. Size up to 127 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Kaynarca (Murat drainage) in Euphrates and Yanarsu, Botan, Menfez, Hezil and Batman drainages, as well as from Aktoprak in Tigris . Iran: Boein-e Olia in Choman drainage, a tributary of Lesser Zab.

Habitat. Springs and slow-flowing streams.

Biology. No data

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. The known distribution of this species is highly disjunct, and it is expected that it will be found in other streams in the region.

Further reading. Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2022 (description); Kaya et al. 2024a (distribution in Türkiye).

Garra roseae ; stream Tang-e-Sarhe, Iran; 45 mm SL.