Genus Aspidoparia
Heckel, 1847

This Oriental genus has only 2 species, one of which enters southeastern Iran. Mirza (2000) proposes that the members of the genus Aspidoparia be placed in a new subfamily, Aspidoparinae.

It is characterised by an elongate and almost cylindrical body with a rounded abdomen, the head has a broad ring of suborbital bones, the mouth is small and inferior, the roof of the mouth has a papillose nodule, the lower jaw has a sharp, crescentic bony edge, no barbels, pharyngeal teeth in 2-3 rows, dorsal fin short, anal fins short to moderate, scales moderate in size, lateral line decurved and running on the lower half of the caudal peduncle, and the gut is long and coiled.

Aspidoparia morar
(Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822)

Common names

None.

[waspi or common chilwa in Pakistan].

Systematics

No relevant synonyms. This species was originally described from the Yamuna and Tista rivers, India. No types are known (Eschmeyer et al., 1996).

Key characters

The suborbital ring of bones is large and distinctive, being almost as deep as the eye, and this feature is unique in southeastern Iranian cyprinids.

Morphology

The snout is short and rounded and overlaps the upper lip. The mouth is small, ventral and transverse. The lower jaw is straight with a slightly horny cutting edge and no lip. The dorsal fin origin is over or slightly behind the pelvic fin origin. The dorsal fin margin is straight to very slightly emarginate and the anal fin is emarginate.

Dorsal fin unbranched rays 2-3 (the first unbranched ray is very small, usually 3 rays are present but not discernible) and branched rays 6-8, anal fin unbranched rays 2 and branched rays 8-10, pectoral branched rays 9-16, usually 12 or more, and pelvic fin branched rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 36-45. Scales have few anterior and more numerous but not many posterior radii. There is a pelvic axillary scale and several elongate and overlapping scales in the pectoral axil. Gill rakers are very short, not touching the adjacent one when appressed, difficult to count at the fleshy ends of each arch, and numbering about 17-25. Pharyngeal teeth 2,4,5-5,4,2 in the literature but the main row count of 4 teeth observed here differs. The main row teeth have large, oval to oblong flattened crowns. The gut is a very elongate s-shape with a small anterior loop. Total vertebrae 36-37. The chromosome number is 2n=48 (Klinkhardt et al., 1995).

Meristic values for Iranian specimens are:- dorsal fin branched rays 6(1) or 7(18); anal fin branched rays 8(4) or 9(15); pectoral fin branched rays 9(1), 12(5), 13(11) or 14(2); pelvic fin branched rays 7(19); lateral line scales 36(1), 37(4), 38(1), 39(5), 40(4), 41(2), 42(1) or 45(1); scales above the lateral line 7(10) or 8(9); scales below the lateral line to the anal fin 3(1), 4(12) or 5(6); scales between the lateral line and the pelvic fin 4(13), 5(5) or 6(1); predorsal scales 17(1), 18(3), 19(2), 20(2), 21(3), 22(3), 23(2) or 24(2); caudal peduncle scales 15(1), 16(5), 17(6), 18(5), 19(1); total gill rakers 17(1), 18(2), 19(2), 21(2), 22(4), 23(2) or 25(1); pharyngeal tooth count 2,4,4-4,4,2(5), 2,4,4-4,4,1(1), or 2,3,4-4,4,2(1), and total vertebrae 36(3) or 37(9).

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Colour

Back light brown to brown-green with the flanks very silvery to silvery-yellow and the belly lighter. There is a golden stripe along the flank. Fins are a distinct dark yellow. The caudal fin may be yellow to orange and paired fins a very light orange-yellow. Preserved fish have immaculate fins except for the caudal fin which has some melanophores lining the rays, a broad stripe along the midline of the back, and fine melanophores on the back and upper flank. Some fish have small, dark dots on the back and upper flank. The peritoneum is black.

Size

Attains 20 cm (Malhotra and Munshi, 1985).

Distribution

This species is reported from the Makran and Mashkid River basins in Pakistan (Mirza, 1992) and eastwards to Thailand. The Iranian distribution encompasses the Mashkel (= Mashkid) and Makran basins, the latter westwards to the Straits of Hormuz (Kiabi and Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

The species and genus reaches its westernmost limit of distribution in southeastern Iran. Barriers to further dispersal are unknown but it may be limited by temperature, habitat availability and poor recent connections between streams in the Makran and the southern deserts of Iran.

Habitat

This species favours streams with slow current.

Age and growth

A female, 9.8 cm total length, from Iran had mature eggs (Berg, 1949).

Food

This minnow is a carni-omnivore and a voracious feeder (Bhattacharjee and Dasgupta, 1988). Iranian specimens contained no discernible food items in their guts.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from February to April in India (Malhotra and Munshi, 1985), Iranian specimens caught in December were not mature suggesting a later spawning season.

Parasites and predators

Jalali et al. (2000) describe two new species of monogeneans, Dactylogyrus yousefpouri and D. mobedii, from this species in the Bahu Kalat River of Baluchestan.

Economic importance

Not of any economic importance in Iran but it is eaten in India.

Conservation

Although known from only a few localities in southeastern Iran, this species may not be threatened other than by water abstraction and pollution.

Further work

The biology of this species, which is at its westernmost range limit in Iran, is unknown. There are some minor differences in characters with literature reports, particularly in pharyngeal tooth count, but sample sizes do not permit an adequate comparison for this wide-ranging species.

Sources

Iranian material: CMNFI 1979-0316, 1, 22.1 mm standard length, Baluchestan, stream in Sarbaz River drainage (26º48'N, 61º02'E);CMNFI 1979-0322, 7, 42.3-86.3 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Dashtiari River (ca. 25º45'N, ca. 61º26'E); CMNFI 1979-0333, 7, 17.7-69.5 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Mashkid River (ca. 27º05'N, ca. 63º12'E); CMNFI 1979-0334, 10, 22.8-62.0 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Mashkid River (27º04'N, 62º54'E): OSU 8123, 5, 45.7-50.6 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Srabaz River (no other locality data).

Comparative material: BC55-61, 2, 67.0-68.2 mm standard length, India, Barakar River near Tillya Dam (no other locality data).