Pseudophoxinus elizavetae

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 371-373

Pseudophoxinus elizavetae

Common name. Sultan minnow.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Pseudophoxinus in Central Anatolia by: ○ 60–68+3 scales in lateral series / ○ lateral line incomplete with 33–60 perforated scales / ○ no keel between posterior end of pelvic base and anus / ○ pelvic origin clearly behind vertical of dorsal origin / ○ flank plain brown, grey or golden without prominent stripe / ○ upper lip projecting beyond tip of lower lip / ○ pelvic-axillary lobe absent / ○ eye diameter 13–20 % HL. Size up to 100 mm SL.

Distribution. Türkiye: Sultan marshes.

Copernicus Service information 2024.

Habitat. Springs and spring-fed streams with clear water and dense vegetation. Also, in muddy irrigation channels.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. CR; Sultan marshes is threatened by desiccation. Zamantı Tunnel has been transferring water from Seyhan to the Sultan marshes since 2011. Since then, Capoeta damascina , Garra turcica , Squalius cappadocicus , and Oxynoemacheilus seyhanensis have invaded Sultan marshes. The impact of this invasion on native species is unknown.

Further reading. Bogutskaya et al. 2007 (description).

Sultan marshes. The designation of a protected area is often insufficient for biodiversity conservation. The Ramsar site status has not prevented the drainage of the endorheic Sultan marshes since the 2000s, nor their connection to the Seyhan. This wetland, situated in the middle of the Yeşilhisar-Develi Plain, comprises a freshwater marsh covered with reeds in its southern section, the saline Lake Yay in the northern section, and the barren lands surrounding these two. The Sultan marshes are fed by streams that descend from the Ala Mountains in the south and by springs with a high output. The Akköy dam has been constructed for irrigation purposes on the Yeşilhisar, a stream that originates in the Ala Mountains. The Dündarlı drains to Sultan marshes from the south and descends into the plain west of the village Ovaçiftlik, where it joins the marsh as a delta. Furthermore, the Kovalı dam, constructed for irrigation purposes, has also dammed up the stream. Another example is the Ağaçasar dam, built for irrigation on the Yahyalı stream, which descends from the Ala Mountains. The Develi stream, which originates on Koç Mountain, disappears near the village of Sindelhöyük without reaching the lake. It has been proposed that the Soysallı spring, located north of Lake Yay and the primary habitat for the region’s endemic fish species, be used for irrigation during the summer, with the remaining water diverted into the lake. Studies concerning these projects began in the 1960s and culminated in the implementation of the Great Develi Irrigation Project in the early 1970s. To address the increasing demand for water in the area, water from the Seyhan has been drained to the Sultan marshes basin since 2011. This has enabled several fish species to invade this endorheic basin. Since then, Sultan marshes have transformed from marshland to steppe habitats. All of its freshwater biodiversity is now restricted to a single spring area. All species of fish ( Anatolichthys danfordii , Pseudophoxinus elizavetae , Cobitis joergbohleni , Oxynoemacheilus ciceki and Seminemacheilus ahmeti ) are at risk of extinction, and future activities may result in the complete drainage of the remaining water or the introduction of non-native species that could eliminate the highly sensitive endemic fauna. Further reading. Çiçek & Sungur 2020 (Sultan marshes).

Pseudophoxinus evliyai ; Kırkpınar, Türkiye; ~ 70 mm SL.