Species Accounts - Cyprinidae - Chalcalburnus

Revised:  07 July 2007

This species is distinguished from its relatives by a combination of characters:-

Species	Total gill rakers	Branched anal fin rays	Pored scales in lateral line	Peritoneum colour
atropatenae	11-16	9-12	46-63	black
chalcoides	18-25	12-19	54-74	light brown
mossulensis	11-18	10-14	58-89	brown to black
tarichi (Lake Van, Turkey)	26-29	9-11	65-82	light brown

Morphology

Dorsal fin rays branched 7(2), 8(102) or 9(1) after 3 unbranched rays, anal fin branched rays 9(5), 10(49), 11(45) or 12(6) after 3 unbranched rays, pectoral fin branched rays 13(7), 14(44), 15(41) or 16(13) and pelvic fin branched rays 7(17) or 8(88). Lateral line scales 46(4), 47(5), 48(12), 49(15), 50(13), 51(15), 52(14), 53(5), 54(5), 55(5), 56(2), 58(6) or 63(1). There is a pelvic axillary scale. The scale focus is slightly anterior or central and there are relatively few anterior and posterior radii about equal in number. The exposed fleshy keel in front of the anus is about 1-4 scales lengths, usually 2, long. Gill rakers lanceolate but short, less than half eye width, reaching between the first and second adjacent rakers or touching the second when appressed, total numbering 11(12), 12(30), 13(35), 14(16), 15(7) or 16(2). Pharyngeal teeth are hooked at the tip and usually bear a few, large serrations on the larger major row teeth or more rarely have no serrations, apparently size independent. The posteriormost major row tooth may be dorsal rather than posterior to the tooth ahead of it. Tooth counts are 2,5-4,2(54), 2,4-4,2(2), 2,4-5,2(1), 2,5-5,2(1), 1,5-4,2(1) or 2,5-3,2(1). The gut is an elongate s-shape, sometimes with an anterior loop to the left. Total vertebrae ?

Sexual dimorphism

Male specimens have small scattered tubercles on the top of the head with fewer tubercles on the side of the head. Tubercles are variably distributed on the head depending on the specimen, or even be different on each side of a single fish. A distinct row may parallel the upper lip, another row may follow the upper eye margin, a patch may be present between the nostril and the upper lip, and there may be tubercles between the mouth and the eye. Very small tubercles line the scale margins on the back, flank and belly and belly scales have a fine row of tubercles on the scale base. Tubercles line the rays of the pectoral, dorsal, pelvic and anal fins and weakly on the caudal fin, the rows branching with the fin rays.

Colour

The back is a dark olive brown to grey, with a narrow stripe. The flank has a dark stripe, as wide as the pupil of the eye, extending onto the head as far as the eye and back to the middle of the caudal fin. The stripe is black to dark green. The flank above the stripe is often lighter in contrast to the darker back and accentuates the distinctiveness of the stripe. The flank below this stripe, the belly and the lower head are silvery, and the stripe is clearly set off from the lower flank. The front of the lower jaw is dark and some of this pigment extends into the floor of the mouth. The iris is silvery on the lower half and dark above. The dorsal fin is faintly pigmented grey along its rays, the caudal fin is grey and the other fins are colourless. Melanophores are present on the dorsal and caudal fin rays and the anterior rays of the pectoral, pelvic and anal fin rays. The nostrils may be dark. The peritoneum is black.

Size

Reaches 21.8 cm.

Distribution

This species is endemic to the Lake Orumiyeh basin and is recorded from the Kazim-chai, Ozband River, Talkheh, Zarrineh and Tatavi rivers (Günther, 1899; Berg, 1925; Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

Lake Orumiyeh was formed during the late Pliocene-Pleistocene, lies at 1275-1295 m, and may well have had a Pleistocene connection to the Caspian Sea basin although this is in dispute (Scharlu, 1968; Schweizer, 1975). Pleistocene shorelines from 30 to 115 m above the present level have been confirmed, and the lake covered twice its present area, but this would not permit an external discharge. Berg (1940) reports benches at levels of about 1800 m, 1650-1550 m and 1500-1360 m, which may represent shorelines, and a level of about 1570 m would have had an outlet to the Aras River basin through the Kara-tepe Pass in the northwest and across the plain near the city of Khvoy. Saadati (1977) suggests two connections with the Caspian Sea, an early one in the Pliocene to early Pleistocene resulting in endemic species and a later one in the late Pleistocene resulting in species which are the same as the Caspian or only subspecifically distinct. C. atropatenae may have its origin in the earlier transgression.

Habitat

Unknown.

Age and growth

Unknown.

Food

Gut contents are insects, crustaceans and worms. Filamentous algae are also present, possibly as accidental inclusions.

Reproduction

Fish captured 25-27 June carried mature eggs.

Parasites and predators

None reported from Iran.

Economic importance

Unknown.

Conservation

?

Further work

?

Sources

Based on the material listed in Coad and Holčík (1999) comprising 137 specimens from around Lake Orumiyeh.

Chalcalburnus chalcoides
(Güldenstaedt, 1772)

Common names

شاه كولي (shah kuli or shah kooli in Gilaki; kuli is widely used for any small fish and may derive from kul which can mean any pond or sheet of water) or shah mahi (= royal fish or king fish in the sense of the best or most important fish); mahi shah kuli; كاس كولي (= kas-e kuli, meaning cup or bowl fish?); aslak in Mazandaran, siah kole (= presumably siah kuli, black fish), safid kuli (= white fish).

[samayi, schamay or schumai, Lankaran samayisi for C. chalcoides longissimus, Kur samayisi for C. chalcoides, all in Azerbaijan; Iranskaya shemaya or Iranian shemaya, Lenkoranskaya shemaya or Lenkoran shemaya, shemaya or shamaya in Russian; bleak, Danube bleak].

Systematics

Cyprinus chalcoides was originally described from the Terek, Sulak and Cyrus (= Kura) rivers, Russia.

Cyprinus clupeoides Pallas, 1776 from the Caspian Sea, Terek and Kura rivers (also spelt clupoides in error), possibly Leuciscus albuloides Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844 from "rivières de Perse", Alburnus longissimus Warpakhovskii, 1892 from the Geoktapinka River, Lenkoran District, Azerbaijan and Alburnus latissimus Kamenskii, 1901 from the mouth of the Kura River, Azerbaijan are synonyms. Since Alburnus latissimus occurs with Chalcalburnus chalcoides in the Kura River, its status is necessarily equivocal.

Chalcalburnus chalcoides iranicus Svetovidov, 1945 was described as the subspecies of the Iranian shore of the Caspian Sea basin and Chalcalburnus chalcoides longissimus (Warpakhovskii, 1892) as the subspecies of the Lenkoran in Azerbaijan neighbouring Iran. Coad (1996b) examined the types of iranicus and longissimus and found them not to be distinguishable. The latter name has priority but both these nominal subspecies, and latissimus, are most probably not distinct from the type subspecies. They were founded on small samples from relatively homogenous spawning populations. Variation may be clinal or related to local temperature and other environmental variables. A very large series of specimens would be necessary to define this.

The Caspian Sea species may be Chalcalburnus chalcoides chalcoides with a distinct subspecies, Chalcalburnus chalcoides mento (Heckel, 1836), in the Black Sea basin although up to 13 subspecies are named from Anatolia and the basins of the Black, Caspian and Aral seas.

The type material of C. chalcoides iranicus is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg (ZISP 31231, holotype (see below), and 3 paratypes 142.0-199.9 mm standard length), the type locality being "a small stream near the hospital near Shahi, Talar River basin" on labels in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg and "a small river in the vicinity of town Shakhi (basin of the river Talar, running into the Caspian Sea west of the Gorgan Bay" (Svetovidov, 1945b). Shahi or Qa'emshahr is at 36°28'N, 52°53'E. Svetovidov (1945b) lists the holotype as a female of total length 263.5 mm and body length 226 mm but the holotype in ZISP is 216.7 mm standard length (Coad, 1996b).

The type material of Alburnus longissimus is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg (ZISP 8653, 2 syntypes, 164.8-185.9 mm standard length, from "Fl. Geoktapinka" (Lenkoran). The locality is probably near Prishib at 39°08'N, 48°36'E (Coad, 1996b). ZISP 8654 (6 fish, 121.2-164.4 mm standard length) from the type locality are listed as types in Berg (1911-1914) but not in the ZISP catalogue. Also an A. longissimus syntype from St. Petersburg is in the Natural History Museum, London from "R. Geotapinka" (BM(NH) 1891.10.7:28).

A hybrid of Chalcalburnus chalcoides and Vimba vimba persa was reported from the Safid River (Petrov, 1926) and a hybrid between Leuciscus cephalus and Chalcalburnus chalcoides is reported from Turkey (Ünver and Erk'akan, 2005).

Key characters

?

Morphology

Lateral line scales 54-74. The dorsal and ventral scale margins are parallel or rounded and the anterior margin is wavy or has a pronounced central protuberance. The posterior scale margin can be rounded and more or less smooth or rounded and finely crenulate. Crenulation may be related to size or sexual maturity but is not always evident even in spawning males. Circuli are numerous and fine, radii are few and present on the anterior and posterior fields (a few fish had some scales with no anterior radii), and the focus is slightly subcentral anterior. There is a well-developed pelvic axillary scale. The ventral keel is only naked near the vent and rarely may be scaled along its entire length. Dorsal fin with 2-3, usually 3, unbranched and 7-9, usually 8, branched rays, anal fin with 3 unbranched and 12-19 branched rays, pectoral fin branched rays 13-16, and pelvic fin branched rays 7-9. Ginzburg (1936b) gives counts of 13(7), 14(34), 15(52), and 16(7) for anal fin rays from Iranian material, modally different from my counts below (possibly the last two rays were counted separately but variation between samples is also possible). Gill rakers 18-31, serrated medially and elongate, reaching the second or third adjacent raker when appressed. Total vertebrae 43-45. Pharyngeal teeth 2,5-5,2, more rarely 2,5-5,1, 2,5-5,3, 2,5-5,4, or 3,5-5,3. Teeth are elongate, slender, curved inward, strongly hooked at the tip and strongly serrated with serrations on the anterior margin of the long, narrow and concave grinding surface. The most posterior main row tooth may lie medial to the second tooth. The swimbladder is pointed posteriorly (rounded in Alburnus alburnus and A. filippii). The gut is an elongate s-shape. Total vertebrae 41-44.

Meristics in Iranian specimens: dorsal fin branched rays 7(3), 8(55) or 9(2); anal fin branched rays 12(1), 13(4), 14(33), 15(19) or 16(3); pectoral fin branched rays 13(4), 14(9), 15(34) or 16(13); pelvic fin branched rays 7(2), 8(57) or 9(1); lateral line scales 54(1), 55(2), 56(2), 57(5), 58(8), 59(5), 60(14), 61(7), 62(5), 63(6), 64(2), 65(1), 66(1) or 67(1); total gill rakers 18(1), 19(5), 20(12), 21(15), 22(14), 23(9), 24(3) or 25(1); pharyngeal teeth 2,5-5,2(30), 2,5-4,2(1), 2,4-5,2(1) or 2,5-5,3(1); and total vertebrae 43(4), 44(6) ?.

Sexual dimorphism

Abdurakhmanov (1962) reports the eye diameter and anal fin base to be larger in males on average for fish from the Kura River basin in Azerbaijan. Iranian males taken in July have small tubercles scattered on top of the head and fine tubercles lining the anterior flank scales.

Colour

The overall colour is metallic silvery and the back is a contrasting olive-green. The iris is bright silver. There is no dark band along the sides. The dorsal and caudal fins are greyish and the other fins colourless to whitish. The peritoneum is light brown but with numerous melanophores in contrast to the dark peritoneum in C. mossulensis.

Size

Reaches 40 cm and 410 g. Shemaya on the Kura River of Azerbaijan are larger than those in the south Caspian, up to 36 cm as opposed to 29 cm.

Distribution

Found from central Europe to the basins of the Black, western and southern Caspian and Aral seas. It is recorded from the entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and its rivers (Derzhavin, 1934; Kozhin, 1957; Svetovidov, 1945b; Holčík and Oláh, 1992; Shamsi et al., 1997; Abbasi et al., 1999); Kiabi et al., 1999; Abdoli, 2000).

Chalcalburnus chalcoides aralensis (Berg, 1926) is reported from the Karakum Canal in Turkmenistan (Shakirova and Sukhanova, 1994; Sal'nikov, 1995) and may eventually be found in the Tedzhen River and Caspian Sea basins of Iran.

? Map

Zoogeography ?

Habitat

Young are rheophilous (Abdurakhmanov, 1975). Knipovich (1921) reports this species from depths of 23.8-25.6 m in the Iranian Caspian Sea. Riazi (1996) reports that this species is native (resident) to the Siah-Keshim Protected Region of the Anzali Mordab.

Age and growth

Life span is 5 years with a theoretical limit of 6.5 years in Azerbaijan (Abdurakhmanov, 1975) and at least 5 years in Iran (Holčík and Oláh, 1992) and Turkey (Tarkan et al., 2005). Sexual maturity is attained at 3 years of age in Azerbaijan and growth is most rapid at an age of 2 years, decreasing thereafter because of high natural mortality (Abdurakhmanov, 1975). The fishes on the spring spawning run in the Anzali Mordab are 10.5-29.0 cm standard length, average 14.0 cm, and 2-5 years old with most (63%) fish in age group 3. Males are mature at 2-4 years and females at 3-5 years. Growth is high during the first 3 years of life and then declines (Holčík and Oláh, 1992). Karimpour et al. (1993) found the Anzali Mordab population to be smaller than the Kura River population but the mordab fish showed greater growth after maturation. The spawning migration into the mordab begins in March and peaks in May and at the beginning of June. Length range was 10.0-24.0 cm, average 16.2 cm with a mean weight of 64.7 g. Age composition was 2-5 years with 3-year-olds comprising 62.5% of the fish. Females formed 57% of the migrating fish.

Food

Holčík and Oláh (1992) report a feeding migration in July to September in the western basin of the Anzali Mordab. Gut contents include diatoms and algae, dragonfly larvae, and copepods (Abdurakhmanov, 1962). Iranian fish had plant fragments, sand grains, crustaceans, insect remains and chironomid larvae in gut contents.

Reproduction

This species is an intermittent spawner with three batches of eggs, only two of which are laid at an interval of 18-19 days. Fecundity reaches 54,700 eggs in Azerbaijan but this is less than that of diadromous populations. Egg diameter is up to 1.9 mm. Spawning takes place in the second half of July to the end of August at water temperatures of 18-25°C in the Mingechaur Reservoir in Azerbaijan. Eggs are laid on rocky bottoms in 15-20 cm of water after a migration into streams or on rocky grounds of reservoirs (Abdurakhmanov, 1962; 1975; Elanidze, 1983). There is a spawning migration into the Kura River from October to April, peaking in December-January, with spawning taking place in spring in the upper reaches (Berg, 1959). In Lake Tuş, Turkey spawning occurred in May-June, egg numbers reached 20,971 and average egg diameter 1.05 mm (Balık et al., 1996).

Svetovidov (1945b) considers that Iranian populations (his iranicus subspecies) spawn nearly throughout the year since fish having ripe sex products were caught in both July and February and young were found along the Iranian coast throughout the year. Spawning takes place in the sea, in areas such as Gorgan Bay, and in the lower reaches of rivers. Khaval (1998) reports a spawning migration into the Safid River despite construction, sand removal and pollution. Holčík and Oláh (1992) report a migration into the Anzali Mordab for spawning in late February to early April (but see above; possibly a confusion between the migration at an earlier date than the spawning act). Karimpour et al. (1993) give an absolute fecundity of 6630 eggs in the Anzali Mordab population while mean relative fecundity is 140 eggs/g of body weight. Iranian fish have 1.5 mm eggs as early as 13 March (fish standard length 213.2 mm) and 1.7 mm eggs on 4 June (fish length 154.6 mm) while eggs are only 1.3 mm on 15 July (fish length 142.8 mm). Larger fish may mature and spawn earlier than younger fish.

Parasites and predators

Molnár and Jalali (1992) report the monogeneans Dactylogyrus minor, D. alatus and D. vistulae from this species in the Ghasemlu River, an inland watershed, with the latter species also in the Safid Rud. They also describe a new species of monogenean, Dactylogyrus holciki, from this species in the Beshar River of the Persian Gulf drainage, possibly confusing this Caspian Sea basin cyprinid with C. mossulensis. Molnár and Jalali (1992) also record the monogenean Dactylogyrus chalcalburni from the Safid and Zayandeh rivers, although this Caspian Sea basin cyprinid does not occur in the latter locality, possibly again confusing the same species as noted above. Shamsi et al. (1997) report Clinostomum complanatum, a parasite causing laryngo-pharyngitis in humans, from this species. The helminths Pentagramma symmetrica and Mazocea alaosa are recorded from the guts of Chalcaburnus tarichi (sic, presumably C. chalcoides) from the Anzali wetland (Ataee and Eslami, 1999; www.mondialvet99.com, downloaded 31 May 2000). Sattari et al. (2005) surveyed this species in the Anzali wetlands, recording Anisakis sp.

Economic importance

The shemaya was a valuable edible fish on the Kura River of Azerbaijan with catches as high as 500 centners (1 centner = 100 kg) prior to construction of the Kura dam. The catch for Azerbaijan in 1933 was 1950 centners or 2,029,000 fish. Catches in the Mingechaur Reservoir formed by the dam were 133 centners in 1972 (Abdurakhmanov, 1975). Reputedly delicious eating (Lönnberg, 1900b). They are fished for on the spawning run when fatty. In Iran they are caught by cast nets in the inlets and outlets of the Anzali Mordab in spring on the spawning run and by gill nets in the western basin on the feeding migration. Holčík and Oláh (1992) report a catch of 956 kg in the Anzali Mordab in 1990 but catches in recent years may have been confused with the exotic Hemiculter leucisculus (Holčík and Olah, 1990).

Conservation

Holčík and Oláh (1992) report a decline in the numbers of this species owing to damming of rivers where it used to spawn. Kiabi et al. (1999) consider this species to be near threatened in the south Caspian Sea basin according to IUCN criteria. Criteria include commercial fishing, sport fishing, abundant in numbers, habitat destruction, widespread range (75% of water bodies), absent in other water bodies in Iran, and present outside the Caspian Sea basin.

This species has been artificially bred without hormones on the Shirrud with a fertilisation rate of 90-98%. Hatching took 6 days and the hatching rate was 57% (I.F.R.O. Newsletter, 36:4, 2003).

Robins et al. (1991) list this species as important to North Americans. Importance is based on its use in aquaculture and as food. Lelek (1987) classifies this species as vulnerable to endangered in Europe.

Further work

?

Sources

The types of C. chalcoides iranicus are included in the meristic data for Iranian specimens.

Chalcalburnus mossulensis
(Heckel, 1843)

Common names

شاه كولي (shah kuli = king fish), shah kuli-ye jonubi (= southern king fish).

[simnan , semnan or samnan, semnan tuyel; sink, or zurri at Mosul (zurri also used for Chondrostoma regium according to Heckel (1846-1849a), but is also used for Aphanius spp., Gambusia and any small fishes or large fishes when young; all in Arabic].

Systematics

Leuciscus maxillaris Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844 from "rivières de Perse", probably Alburnus capito Heckel, 1843 from "Gebirgsflüssen Kurdistans" (mountain streams of Kurdistan in Heckel (1843b) or "Gebirgsbache in Kurdistan" in Heckel (1846-1849a)), Alburnus Iblis Heckel, 1849 described from the "Gegend um Persepolis oder den Gewässern des Araxes" (= probably the Pulvar (= Sivan) River near Persepolis and the Kor River, both in Fars), Alburnus Schejtan Heckel, 1849 described from the "Araxes bei Persepolis", Alburnus caudimacula Heckel, 1849 described from the "Flusse Kara-Agatsch und bei dem Dorfe Geré (= Qarah Aqaj or Mand River, Fars; possibly near Kereft, 29°01'N, 52°52'E), and Alburnus megacephalus Heckel, 1849 described from the "Araxes" are synonyms (e.g. according to Berg (1949)). The type locality of Alburnus mossulensis is the "Tigris bei Mossul" according to Heckel (1843b).

Saadati (1977) considers Chalcalburnus caudimacula to be a distinct species found in the Mand River of Fars based on head length being longer (but the ranges overlap) and a shorter scaleless keel (which is individually variable in these fishes according to my observations).

A subspecies, Chalcalburnus mossulensis delineatus Battalgil, 1942, is reported from Diyarbakir on the Tigris River in Turkey.

A hybrid with Acanthobrama marmid was reported from the Hawr al Hammar in southern Iraq by Krupp et al. (1992) who also note that C. mossulensis is probably a synonym of Chalcalburnus sellal (Heckel, 1843), a species originally described the Quwayq River at Aleppo. However they retained mossulensis as a distinct species because of colour differences and the difficulty of obtaining fresh material of sellal in its polluted habitat at Aleppo in Syria (see Vesiland (1993) for habitat photograph). Heckel (1846-1849a) differentiates mossulensis from sellal by the former being more slender and elongate, the pelvic, dorsal and anal fins are more anterior so the caudal peduncle is more elongate, the eyes are larger and lower on the head, and there is a lead-coloured stripe separating the upper third of the body from the lower part. Berg (1949) considers that C. mossulensis may be nothing more than a subspecies of C. sellal.

If mossulensis is a synonym of sellal, then the nominal taxa Alburnus microlepis Heckel, 1843 and Alburnus hebes Heckel, 1843, both from the Kueik (= Quwayq) River at Aleppo (Heckel, 1843b), would have to be added to the synonymy of sellal as indicated by Berg (1949) and Krupp (1985c). The 3 syntypes of Alburnus hebes seen by me in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien were 57-155 mm standard length (NMW 17558-17560) (but Eschmeyer et al. (1996) list NMW 55523 for these syntypes, and the card index had this number in 1997; possibly they were renumbered). One of these fish is designated as the lectotype. The holotype of Alburnus microlepis (NMW 55655) measures 119 mm standard length (Krupp, 1985c).

Krupp (1985c) gives details on the syntypes of Alburnus sellal held at the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien. Six syntypes of A. sellal, 124-140 mm standard length, are under NMW 55665 (2 fish) and NMW 55666 (4), and 3, 110-152 mm standard length, are under NMW 55664 (1) and 55667 (2, one of which is designated as the lectotype). Eschmeyer et al. (1996) list NMW 55664-67 as having 1, 2, 4, and 2 fish in each number in the series and also 2 syntypes (RMNH 2666) in the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden from NMW. The catalogue in Vienna lists 8 specimens of A. sellal.

The syntypes of A. mossulensis are under NMW 55656 (2 fish), NMW 55717 (2), and NMW 55718 (2). Two syntypes of Alburnus mossulensis are in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 402, formerly NMW) (F. Krupp, pers. comm., 1985; 80.1-102.7 mm standard length). Eschmeyer et al. (1996) also list NMW 77723 (2) and 1 possible syntype in the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden (RMNH 2644). The catalogue in Vienna lists 6 specimens of A. mossulensis, with one specimen from NMW 77723 as the lectotype.

Seven syntypes of Alburnus iblis are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 55524 and measure 91-165 mm standard length (Kähsbauer, 1964; 92.9-172.3 mm standard length by my measurements). One of these fish is designated as the lectotype. The catalogue in Vienna lists 8 specimens in one column and 38 in the adjacent column.

Two syntypes of Alburnus megacephalus are under NMW 55627 and measure 160-162 mm standard length (Kähsbauer, 1964; 162.9-166.1 mm standard length by my measurements); 2 specimens are listed in the Vienna catalogue. One of these fish is the lectotype.

Fifteen syntypes of Alburnus caudimacula are under NMW 55506 and measure 38.5-118.4 mm standard length; the catalogue in Vienna lists 8 specimens in one column and what appears to be 26 specimens in the adjacent column although this may be 20 fish with 6 set aside for A. schejtan. The Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden has 4 syntypes under RMNH 2654, formerly in NMW (Eschmeyer et al., 1996).

Five syntypes of Alburnus capito measure 48.7-101.9 mm standard length (NMW 55505) although the catalogue in Vienna only lists 4 fish.

Four syntypes of Alburnus schejtan measure 71.7-112.6 mm standard length (NMW 22281) and one of these is designated as the lectotype, 2 syntypes measure 104.5-112.3 mm standard length (NMW 55663), 2 syntypes measure 91.8-100.0 mm standard length (NMW 55719), and 2 syntypes measure 81.6-94.4 mm standard length (NMW 55721).

Two syntypes of Leuciscus maxillaris, 165-166 mm total length, are stored in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (as 13954 according to Fang (1942) or as A.3954 according to Bertin and Estève (1948), M. L. Bauchot, in litt., 1982, and my observations). Fang (1942) regards maxillaris as a distinct species in Alburnus.

Krupp (1985c) refers 5 specimens from the type series of Alburnus doriae to his Alburnus sellal and 2 specimens to Leuciscus lepidus.

Bianco and Banarescu (1982) felt that their samples showed clinal variation from northwest to southeast, with numbers of anal fin branched rays, lateral line scales and gill rakers gradually decreasing. Their fish from the upper Tigris River basin in Turkey not far from Mosul (the type locality) and from the Pulvar River (Kor River basin of Fars) form one subspecies while those from the Mand and Kul River basin draining to the Persian Gulf in Fars are a distinct subspecies. Available names for the former subspecies include capito, iblis, schejtan and megacephalus, the latter requires a new name according to Bianco and Banarescu (1982). However the Tigris-Kor sample could be C. mossulensis mossulensis and the Mand-Kul sample C. mossulensis caudimacula (see above). However Bianco and Banarescu (1982) are correct to point out that variation in this species has not been fully examined, local environmental conditions such as temperature can affect scale counts and the problem of the relationship of C. sellal remains to be resolved. They found in 7 specimens of sellal that scale counts at 71-77 (in contrast to 66-70 in Berg (1949)) overlapped with mossulensis counts. Berg's (1949) and my counts are very wide for C. mossulensis, suggesting that local environment may govern meristic characters as widely demonstrated for fishes. Subspecies recognition requires much further work as Bianco and Banarescu (1982) acknowledge by not proposing a new name for the Mand-Kul fish. Furthermore, samples from near Boldaji in the Shahrestan-e Bakhtiari va Chahar Mahall at 31°57'30"N, 50°59'E and 31° 55'N, 51°05'E are distinctive in their meristic characters as outlined below but other samples from the Khersan River in Boyer Ahmadi-ye Sardsir va Kohkiluyeh at 30°24'N, 51°47'E and 30°31'N, 51°31'E are intermediate (both Boldaji and Khersan are in the upper Karun River basin). Clinal variation may be operative but would require more samples to document fully.

Key characters

?

Morphology

Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 7-9 branched rays, anal fin with 3 unbranched and 10-14 branched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 14-16, pelvic fin branched rays 8-9. Lateral line scales 60-89. Gill rakers 11-16. Pharyngeal teeth 2,5-4,2, with hooked tips and serrated edges to the crowns. Variants include 2,5-5,2, 3,5-5,3 and 2,5-5,3. Populations vary sympatrically in total vertebral counts: 40-43 and 42-45; and in abdominal counts 20-22 and 22-24 (Bogutskaya et al., 2000). The karyotype of fish from the Kızılırmak River in Turkey was 2n=48 (Gül et al., 2000) but this species does not occur in this area.

Meristics for Iranian specimens by basin are as follows:-

Locality/Dorsal Fin Branched Rays	7	8	9	x	S.D.
Boldaji	18	33		7.6	0.48
Khersan River	3	28		7.9	0.30
Kor River Basin	5	124	2	8.0	0.23
Gulf Basin	11	113	5	8.0	0.35
Tigris River Basin		66	6	8.1	0.28

Locality/Anal Fin Branched Rays	9	10	11	12	13	x	S.D.
Boldaji	29	22				9.4	0.50
Khersan River	2	40	23	2		10.4	0.60
Kor River Basin		2	83	46		11.3	0.51
Gulf Basin		16	84	28	1	11.1	0.60
Tigris River Basin		2	33	30	7	11.6	0.71

Locality/Pectoral Fin Branched Rays	13	14	15	16	17	18	x	S.D.
Boldaji		5	25	15	6		15.4	0.83
Khersan River			4	15	12		16.3	0.68
Kor River Basin		3	26	60	36	6	16.1	0.86
Gulf Basin	2	21	64	38	4		15.2	0.79
Tigris River Basin		6	20	36	10		15.7	0.82

Locality/Pelvic Fin Branched Rays	7	8	9	x	S.D.
Boldaji	32	19		7.4	0.49
Khersan River	1	29	1	8.0	0.26
Kor River Basin	2	119	10	8.1	0.30
Gulf Basin	22	103	4	7.9	0.43
Tigris River Basin	4	62	6	8.0	0.37

Locality/Lateral Line Scales	n	Range	x	S.D.
Boldaji	51	67-83	75.0	3.62
Khersan River	31	72-84	79.5	2.99
Kor River Basin	131	66-86	75.7	3.24
Gulf Basin	129	58-82	68.8	4.17
Tigris River Basin	73	72-89	78.6	3.46

Locality/Total Gill Rakers	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	x	S.D.
Boldaji		19	19	12					12.9	0.78
Khersan River	13	10	6	2					11.9	0.94
Kor River Basin		1	26	54	39	11			14.3	0.90
Gulf Basin	7	29	61	29	3				12.9	0.87
Tigris River Basin		24	24	18	4		1	1	13.2	1.17

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Colour

Overall colour is silvery. The back is a bluish- or reddish-brown, bluish-black or blackish. A dark, lead-coloured stripe runs along and above the mid-flank and has a width about the same as the eye diameter. The stripe may only be evident posteriorly. Scales above the lateral line have fine melanophores at their base. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins are margined with black, the latter the darkest. There may be a black spot at the caudal fin base and the first pectoral fin ray may be black dorsally. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are yellowish at their base. Pelvic and anal fins may be reddish. The peritoneum is brown but may be thickly speckled with black-brown spots and thus appear almost black.

Size

Reaches about 22 cm (Ergene, 1993).

Distribution

Found in the Tigris-Euphrates basin and adjacent basins. In Iran it is recorded from the Tigris River, Gulf, Lake Maharlu, Kor River and upper reaches of the Hormozgan basins (M. Hafezieh, pers. comm.; Berg, 1949; Bianco and Banarescu, 1982; Abdoli, 2000) and questionably from the Esfahan basin (Abdoli, 2000). Records also include the Shapur and Dalaki rivers in the Gulf basin (Gh. Izadpanahi, pers. comm., 1995) and the upper Mand including Qara Agaj reach and Shur tributary, Shur tributary to Dasht-e Palang; upper Zohreh, Marun and Jarrahi, upper Karun and Khersan, Dez, whole middle to upper Karkheh basin (Simarreh, Qarasu, Gav Masiab)(Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

Its former position in the genus Chalcalburnus indicates a relationship with fishes occurring in the Black-Caspian seas basin.

Habitat

This species is found in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and marshes. Al-Habbib (1981) has demonstrated experimentally for specimens taken from the Aloka River, north of Mosul, Iraq that this species can survive temperatures in the range of about 1.25-36.2°C when acclimated (fish were identified incorrectly as Chalcalburnus chalcoides). Epler et al. (2001) found it to be the second most dominant species of fish (identified as A. sheitan) in lakes Habbaniyah, Tharthar and Razzazah in Iraq, comprising 10% of all fish collected. This was one of the most abundant species in the recovering marshes of southern Iraq in 2005-2006 (Hussain et al., 2006).

Age and growth

Jawad (2004) used eye lens diameter for ageing the young (up to age 3) of this species from the marshes north of Basrah. Ergene (1993) studied the growth of this species in the Karasu of Turkey and found 4 age groups, and mentions 5 age groups for another Turkish study. Mean fork length is 118.2 mm, 131.0 mm, 145.2 mm and 163.3 mm respectively. Condition factors for these age groups were 0.87, 0.85, 0.84 and 0.86. Türkmen and Akyurt (2000) also working on this species in the Karasu River found age groups 1 to 6 with age group 3 the most abundant. The mean condition factor for males and females was 1.023 and 1.047 respectively. Age-length, age-weight (von Bertalanffy equations) and length-weight relationships were also calculated as l_t = 20.41[1-e^-0.2485 (t+1.47)], l_t = 21.59[1-e^-0.1978 (t+2.13)], W = 80.77 (1-e^-0.2485 (t+1.47)^2.828, W = 103.63 (1-e^-0.1978 (t+2.13)^3.082, LogW = -1.796 + 2.828 LogFL (r = 0.943) and LogW = -2.097 + 3.082 LogFL (r = 0.946) respectively.

Esmaeili and Ebrahimi (2006) give a significant length-weight relationship based on 76 Iranian fish measuring 3.15-8.14 cm standard length. The a-value was 0.0197 and the b-value 2.903 (a b-value < 3 indicating a fish that becomes less rotund as length increases and a b-value >3 indicating a fish that becomes more rotund as length increases).

Food

Younis et al. (2001b) found Shatt al Arab, Iraq fish feeding on phytoplankton (algae and diatoms) at 44%, followed by organic detritus at 36.7% (33% in a table), and arthropods at 3.1%, It had a dietary overlap of 89% with Barbus luteus in May, the highest in the study. In a study of the recovering Hammar Marsh, Iraq diet was 67.95% insects and 14.34% algae with diatoms, plants, crustaceans and fish at less than 10% each, in the Hawr al Hawizah 66.2% insects and 19.2% algae, with amounts of diatoms and crustaceans being less than 10% each, and in the Al Kaba'ish (= Chabaish) Marsh 73.7% insects and 13.1% algae with diatoms, plants and crustaceans at less than 10% each (Hussain et al., 2006).

Reproduction

Berg (1949) reports a female 15.5 cm long with mature eggs. Qarmat Ali River, Iraq fish had a fecundity of 1926-11,779 eggs (Saud, 1997).

Parasites and predators

Molnár and Jalali (1992) describe a new species of monogenean, Dactylogyrus holciki, from this species in the Beshar River of the Persian Gulf drainage. Gussev et al. (1993b) report the monogenean, Dactylogyrus chalcalburni, from Alburnus alburnus in the Zayandeh Rud but this fish does not occur there. The parasite may have been found in Chalcalburnus mossulensis. González-Solís et al. (1997) report Rhabdochona denudata, Contracaecum sp. larvae and Proleptinae larvae (Nematoda) from this species in the drainage of Lake Maharlu and Contracaecum sp. larvae in the drainage of the Kor River, both in Fars. Jalali et al. (2005) summarise the occurrence of Gyrodactylus species in Iran and record G. sp. from the Beshar River of the Tigris basin in a Chalcalburnus sp., presumably this species.

Economic importance

This species has been used in the preparation of fish meal in Iraq.

Conservation

An abundant species where studied, it appears to be under no threat in Iran.

Further work

Its taxonomic status in relation to its Levant relative remains unresolved and the relation between lowland and mountain populations in Iran needs careful analysis. Its biology in Iran has yet to be studied in detail.

Sources

?Iranian material:

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© Brian W. Coad (www.briancoad.com)