Species Accounts - Cyprinidae - Barbus

Revised:  08 January 2009

Genus Barbus
Cuvier and Cloquet, 1816

The barbels, genus Barbus sensu lato, are found in Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa and comprise about 800 species with 15 in Iran.

This genus includes a wide variety of species and is something of a catchall, serving to cover groups of species which have not been satisfactorily defined as distinct genera to general acceptance. Some authors recognise genera not recognised by others or regard these genera as subgenera - this necessarily affects the species count above. Characters in Southwest Asian species include a rounded or compressed body of moderate to very large size, large to very small scales (lateral line scale count range is at least 26-103), no scale sheath around the anal fin, scales have moderate to high numbers of radii and numerous fine circuli, the presence of barbels in most species, usually 2 pairs, often 1 pair and sometimes none (and individually variable within species), lips variably developed from thin to thick and fleshy, the lower lip sometimes with a well-developed median lobe (and lip development individually variable within species), the last unbranched ray in the short dorsal fin (usually 7-8 branched rays but sometimes more) is thickened and spine-like and may bear teeth or be smooth, a short anal fin, usually with 5 branched rays (but some have 6), pharyngeal teeth in 3 rows with hooked or spoon-shaped tips but sometimes heavy and massive or molariform, gut short, peritoneum white to brown or black, and colour usually brown without distinctive markings in the form of stripes, bands or spots (Barbus subquincunciatus is an exception).

Bănărescu and Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) restrict Barbus to tetraploid species with scales having divergent striae. These species have 7-8, occasionally 9, branched dorsal fin rays, 5 branched anal fin rays, papillose lips and two pairs of barbels. This then excludes species placed in Carasobarbus, Kosswigobarbus, Mesopotamichthys and Tor (see below). For the moment, I am using Barbus as a catch-all genus and not separating out these proposed genera; the genus is clearly in need of a revision using molecular methods to complement data in morphology. Barbus under this restricted definition, ranges from England to the Urals, in northwest Africa, the basins of the Black, Caspian and Aral seas, Anatolia, the Levant, the Tigris-Euphrates basin and adjacent parts of Iran. African species do not belong to this genus. Two groups of species can be distinguished in this restricted Barbus according to Bănărescu and Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003), namely those with 5 pharyngeal teeth in the main row and a papillose lower lip separated from the chin by a groove and those with 4 pharyngeal teeth in the main row and a lower lip without papillae and continuous with the chin, this latter group being formerly recognised as the genus Luciobarbus Heckel, 1843 (and see below). The European/Caucasian member(s) of Barbus s. str. in Iran is lacerta and of Luciobarbus (treated as a subgenus in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003)) are brachycephalus and capito.

Berrebi and Tsigenopoulos in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) review Barbus using molecular markers. They include Barbus cyri (a subspecies of B. lacerta according to some authors) and B. lacerta in the subgenus Barbus, their Northern Mediterranean Group, and B. brachycephalus, capito, esocinus, longiceps, mursa, mystaceus, pectoralis, rajanourum, subquincunciatus, xanthopterus and probably barbulus, kersin, sheich and scincus in the subgenus Luciobarbus, their Southern Group. Levin (2004) studied phenetic relationships of 7 Caucasian taxa and concurred with the division into Barbus and Luciobarbus. See under the species Barbus kosswigi for a discussion about the genus/subgenus Kosswigobarbus.

The genus Barbus Cuvier and Cloquet, 1816 has been split into a number of genera which have not met with general acceptance as noted above. Names used in Southwest Asia include Tor Gray, 1834 sensu Karaman, 1971, Labeobarbus Rüppell, 1836, Systomus McClelland, 1838, Luciobarbus Heckel, 1843, Barynotus Günther, 1868 (preoccupied), Aspiobarbus Berg, 1932, Bertinius Fang, 1943 (and Bertinus Banister, 1980, a misspelling), Bertinichthys Whitley, 1953 (an unneeded replacement of Bertinius), Mesopotamichthys Karaman, 1971, Carasobarbus Karaman, 1971 and Kosswigobarbus Karaman, 1971. Labeobarbus is generally considered to be a synonym of Tor, species of which are found mostly in the Oriental Realm, with perhaps only Barbus grypus in Iran being a member of the genus Tor (Karaman, 1971; Ekmekçi and Banarescu, 1998). Bertinius is regarded as a synonym of Luciobarbus in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003). A summary table of generic and/or subgeneric names is given below:-

Species	Original genus	Proposed genus or subgenus
barbulus	Barbus	Luciobarbus
brachycephalus	Barbus	Luciobarbus
capito	Cyprinus	Luciobarbus
esocinus	Luciobarbus	Luciobarbus
grypus	Barbus	Tor
kersin	Barbus	Luciobarbus
kosswigi	Cyclocheilichthys	Kosswigobarbus
lacerta	Barbus	Barbus
luteus	Systomus	Carasobarbus
mursa	Cyprinus	Luciobarbus
pectoralis	Barbus	Luciobarbus
sharpeyi	Barbus	Mesopotamichthys
sublimus	Barbus	Kosswigobarbus
subquincunciatus	Barbus	Luciobarbus
xanthopterus	Luciobarbus	Luciobarbus

Since the status of Middle Eastern Barbus s.l. species are still undergoing revision, all species are retained here under the catchall genus Barbus as the most familiar genus until a more final resolution is obtained.

There are also conflicting views on the validity and synonymy of several nominal Barbus species. An extensive comparison of these views is not given here (see, for example, Myers (1960), Karaman (1971), Almaça (1983, 1984a, 1984b, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994), Krupp (1985c), Howes (1987), Doadrio (1990), Eschmeyer (1990), Berrebi (1995), Berrebi et al. (1996), Tsigenopoulos and Berrebi (2000)). Karaman's studies have not found general acceptance. Author's views conflict, even when examining the same material. Problems include:- the low number of specimens examined (Almaça (1984a; 1986) for example, examined 11 nominal taxa relevant to Iran in detail but averaged only about 6 specimens per taxon, often from a single locality or outside Iranian waters); a wide range in size of individuals of species being compared making age related changes difficult to assess (denticles in the dorsal fin are often lost with age, barbels are shorter, body shape changes, etc); the possibility of sexual dimorphism; possible variation between populations; ecomorphs being recognised as genera (e.g. Luciobarbus was recognised by having 4, as opposed to 5, teeth in the outer pharyngeal tooth row; Bertinius is founded on this condition and development of molar teeth for crushing molluscs - but this may have risen independently in response to an ecological opportunity (see Krupp (1985c)); paedomorphosis and independent origins from a generalised form in different sites (Mina et al., 2001), and the lack of a wide range of new material. An adequate resolution of the systematics of the Barbus sensu lato species in the Tigris-Euphrates basin in particular would require extensive collections of new material from type localities and from the whole basin and comparison of this material with the extant types. Not all types are extant and some that do exist are in poor condition. If this were not complication enough, Barbus species are prone to hybridisation with other Barbus species and even other genera, further confusing the resolution of the issue. Almaça (1990) cites a hybridization rate of 5.5-6.0% in Barbus of the Iberian Peninsula, higher under changed ecological conditions such as the building of dams.

The status of Bertinius longiceps persicus Karaman, 1971 described from the "Karun b. Ahvaz, Persien" (= Karun River at Ahvaz, Khuzestan) on a single specimen is uncertain (lateral line 56-58, gill rakers 22, subterminal mouth, very short barbels, head somewhat higher and suddenly narrowing compared to the type subspecies of the Jordan and Orontes basins, acuminate snout, dorsal fin margin concave). It is not Barbus longiceps (F. Krupp, in litt., 1986). The holotype is in the Zoologischen Instituts und Zoologischen Museums der Universität Hamburg (ZMH H2509).

The roe or eggs of species in this genus have been implicated in poisoning (Halstead, 1967-1970) and should be avoided (see under the genus Schizothorax for more information on egg poisoning). Fish should be carefully cleaned in the spawning season to remove the eggs and ensure against contamination of flesh. Severe cases of egg poisoning in other species have resulted in death. Sykes (1927) however, in his account of the travels of Sir John Chardin in Persia (first published in 1686) quotes "Barbel.... the Spawn of them especially is dangerous, being a certain and a violent Vomit, by Reason that the Sun never shines on that Fish, and that it breeds in raw Waters; or because they take it with the Nux Vomica or the Vomiting Nut". Najafpour and Coad (2002) report a case of roe poisoning from eggs of B. luteus.

Barbels are found in running water of streams and rivers although some may inhabit ponds, springs and lakes. Most show migrations for spawning. A species called soleymani, possibly a Barbus species, was considered to be on the verge of extinction in the Gav Masiab River of the Tigris River basin, through pollution, overfishing, dam building, aquaculture, and introduction of exotics (IranMania.com, 29 December 2006). Barbus species in Khuzestan are thought to be the intermediate hosts of Heterophyidae flukes found in humans and carnivores (Massoud et al., 1981).

Kazeraani (1994) gives a short account of Iranian Barbus species in Farsi. The common names in Farsi for these fishes generally are سس ماهي (= sos, ses or sas mahi, meaning unknown) and زرده پر (= zardehpar), zardek or zardak and ourange or ourenge (in reference to yellow or orange colorations, probably of the fins).

The origin and movements of "palaearctic" or Euro-Mediterranean Barbus species in Southwest Asia have been examined by Banarescu (1976; 1977) and Almaça (1984b; 1988; 1990) and these works should be consulted for further details. These works are not cladistic analyses but groupings of species based on morphological similarities and may be subject to criticism on this account.

The origin of the genus Barbus according to these authors lies in East Asia and reached the Euro-Mediterranean region by a Siberian route. Barbus became extinct in northern East Asia, Siberia and northern Europe when the climate cooled during either the Pliocene or the Quaternary. Europe was colonised during the Oligocene and it is from Europe through Anatolia that Southwest Asia received many of its "palaearctic" Barbus. This route of entry probably did not occur before the Pliocene because the Syrian-Iranian Sea, the last connection between the Tethys Sea and the Indian Ocean, blocked passage of primary freshwater fishes into what is now Iran and adjacent regions although a connection between a Balkan-Aegean-Anatolian landmass and Iran was possible during the early Miocene (20-17 MYA). A marine transgression 16.8-11.8 MYA flooding the eastern Paratethys and the rise of mountain barriers led to independent evolution of Barbus in the Balkan-Aegean-Anatolian landmass and in the Iranian Plateau. During the late Miocene the eastern marine connection of Paratethys closed (11.8-10.5 MYA) allowing an exchange of Barbus between Iran and Anatolia, continuous from that time. The Paratethys became an intracontinental sea, the Sarmatian Sea, with a basin encompassing the present Black, Caspian and Aral seas and neighbouring low-lying areas (Bianco, 1990). The Sarmatian Sea freshened as large rivers entered it during the late Miocene and Pliocene, facilitating dispersal of freshwater fishes. A second route of entry for Barbus to northern Iran was via southwestern Siberia and the Aral Sea basin during the early to middle Oligocene. Bănărescu and Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) agree on an east Asian origin for Barbus, dispersing across Siberia and western Asia. The group split into two branches, one forming Barbus sensu stricto and using a dispersal route north of the Ponto-Caspian basin and reaching western Europe and another (Luciobarbus) dispersing across the present-day Mediterranean Sea (see above in discussion of Berrebi and Tsigenopoulos in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) for listing of nominal taxa relevant to Iran in these branches or groups).

A recent overview of Barbus systematics restricts the genus to Europe, Southwest Asia and Northwest Africa (Berrebi et al., 1996). Barbus sensu stricto is recognised as a lineage which shares morphological characters, has an ancestral tetraploid origin of 2n=100, and has similar karyotypes, biochemical markers and parasites. Genetic studies indicate four groups of species, namely West European and Ponto-Caspian, Iberian, Northwest African and Levantine. Iberian barbels are found in Spain and Portugal and along within the Northwest African barbels share no species with Iran. The West European and Ponto-Caspian barbels include B. brachycephalus, B. capito and B. mursa, and the Levantine barbels include B. barbulus, B. cyri, B. esocinus, B. lacerta, B. pectoralis, B. rajanorum, B. scincus, B. subquincunciatus and B. xanthopterus. The authors make no comments on the validity of these nominal species and only B. brachycephalus has been examined in detail for karyotypes and/or nuclear markers. This work is continuing and the authors advocate various methods. They note that accurate descriptions of many taxa are lacking and that morphology is still the fastest and most cost-efficient way to identify species. Accurate identification is the foundation for all other studies.

Machordom and Doadrio (2001), using ATPase 6 and 8 and cytochrome b, found differentiation in Barbus capito and B. brachycephalus in the Plio-Pleistocene. A clade of the subgenus Luciobarbus was found for species from the Caucasus (as above), Greece and North Africa compared to the Iberian Peninsula, isolation having occurred after the Messinian salinity crisis 5.5 MY ago when the Iberian Peninsula broke away from Africa.

Berrebi et al. (1996) recommend that Barbus-like species which cannot be allocated to a clearly defined genus should be placed in a genus called `Barbus', surrounded by single quotation marks, until the systematic position is elucidated.

Barbus barbulus
Heckel, 1849

Common names

lab pahn (= broad lip), برزم (berzem or barzam); berzem lab pahn in Khuzestan and Iraq to distinguish it from B. pectoralis; boz mahi (= goat fish) or سس ماهي (= sos or sas mahi in the Dalaki and Shapur river basins); dolenj.

[abu-barattum (= owner or father of lips), abu baratem, abu bratum or nabbash in Arabic; Orontes barbel].

Systematics

Howes (1987) places this species in Barbus sensu stricto. Karaman (1971) places this species in the synonymy of Barbus rajanorum but other authorities consider it to be Barbus pectoralis (q.v.). Almaça (1983) placed this species as a subspecies of Barbus mystaceus but later (1984a, 1984b, 1986, 1991) retained barbulus as a full species, known only from the Levant, despite Heckel's record from both the Qarah Aqaj (= Mand) of Fars, Iran and the Quwayq (= Kueik) River of the Levant. I retain it as a species under Heckel's name for this taxon until the systematics of this and related species can be worked out as indicated above. It is separated from mystaceus according to Almaça (1983) by having thinner lips, shorter barbels, the last unbranched dorsal ray weaker and shorter, more dense denticles spread over a shorter length of ray, higher anal fin, gill rakers less numerous and the upper dorsal profile is rectilinear and oblique to the back.

The type locality of Barbus Barbulus is the "Fluss Kara-Agatsch....bei dem Dorfe Geré" (= Qarah Aqaj or Mand River, Fars; possibly near Kereft, 29°01'N, 52°52'E) and presumably the "Kueik bei Aleppo" (Heckel, 1846-1849b). J. Valiallahi, pers. comm., 2001 and Edmondson and Lack (2006) suggest Jereh at 29°15'N, 51°58'E but this is in the Hilleh River drainage, a Dalaki River tributary. In addition, "Geré" takes a hard G in German, not a J. There may be some confusion of names and rivers here.

A possible syntype of barbulus from the Qarah Aqaj was located by Almaça (1983, 1986) in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 53957) and seen by me but is in too poor condition to be of much value, being mostly bones. Another syntype is listed as NMW 6596 and measures 119.3 mm standard length. In 1997, this was the only syntype recognised and is possibly the same as NMW 53957 re-numbered as the latter was not located in 2002. The catalogue in Vienna lists only 1 fish, while Heckel's description refers to several fish. NMW 6596 is mostly bones and is dried. The fleshy lip fold of the original description could not be discerned, teeth are missing and the dorsal fin is broken off short.

"Syntypes" of mystaceus are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien from Mosul on the Tigris River (NMW 16472 (1 specimen), NMW 50394 (2), NMW 54384 (2)) and NMW 54385 (2) but note that authors such as Karaman (1971) and Almaça (1983, 1991) refer the species description to Heckel (1843) in error. These were not marked as being syntypes as observed on a 1997 visit to Vienna.

Key characters

This species is characterised by having two pairs of barbels, a serrated and very strong dorsal fin spine similar to that in Capoeta trutta in its proportions relative to the body, usually 8 dorsal fin rays (never 10), fleshy lips, and 47 or more lateral line scales.

Morphology

The inferior mouth is moderate in size, with moderate to thick lips and with or without a median lower lip lobe. Some fish have very thick lips so a central lobe is apparent. Some show such a degree of lip development as to appear almost abnormal while fish of similar size or larger lack this hypertrophy. In the latter case, the anterior head may be bluntly rounded and foreshortened rather than having an almost straight upper margin tapering to a pointed end. Barbels are relatively thin, occasionally quite thick. The anterior barbel does not extend past the anterior eye margin level and the posterior one not past the posterior eye margin in all sizes of fish. Rarely the anterior barbel extends to mid-eye level and the posterior one almost to the anterior operculum margin.

Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 8-9, usually 8, branched rays, anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5 branched rays. The last unbranched dorsal fin ray is usually very strong with a moderate density of denticles extending along much of the ray but its strength is variably developed. Pectoral fin branched rays 17-19, pelvic fin branched rays 8-9, usually 8. Lateral line scales 47-59. Scale focus subcentral anterior, many fine circuli, and numerous radii on all fields, curved in the lateral fields. A pelvic axillary scale is present but not strongly developed or apparent. Gill rakers 14-24, reaching the second raker when appressed. The interior raker surface may be covered with spinules, the internal base is heavily tubercular and the tips may become club-shaped. Pharyngeal teeth 1 or 2,3,4 or 5-5 or 4,3,2 or 1, hooked at the tip but spoon-like below with the fourth tooth of the inner row molariform, with or without a blunt projection (hooked in small fish) and much larger than the third, and the fifth tooth very small and rounded and sometimes absent apparently independent of size. The gut is elongate and complexly coiled with one anterior and 3 posterior loops. Total vertebrae 44 (Howes, 1987).

Meristics in Iranian fish are as follows: dorsal fin branched rays 8(26); anal fin branched rays 5(26); pectoral fin branched rays 17(6), 18(15), or 19(5); pelvic fin branched rays 8(25) or 9(1); lateral line scales 47(1), 48(3), 49(4), 50(4), 51(2), 52(5), 53(4), 54(1), 56(1) or 57(1); total gill rakers 15(1), 17(1), 18(4), 19(3), 20(6), 21(5), 22(2), 23(3) or 24(1); pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(18), 2,3,5-4,3,2(3), 2,3,4-5,3,2(3), 2,3,5-5,3,1(1) or 2,3,4-4,3,2(1); total vertebrae ?.

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Colour

The back and upper flank are brownish, the lower flank yellowish and the belly whitish. Upper flank scales are outlined with pigment, and the anterior edge of the dorsal fin and the caudal fin margin are black in preserved fish. Small fish have a few spots on the upper to mid-flank or may be profusely speckled in preservative.

Small live fish are silvery overall and have anal and caudal fins orange to bright red, especially the lower caudal fin lobe. The dorsal fin is grey and the pectoral and pelvic fins yellowish. The operculum is greenish. The lower flank is greenish-golden and the upper flank brown to grey. Large specimens are silvery with clear fins. The belly in small and large fish is white and the back grey or green to brown. The iris is silvery. The peritoneum is black.

Size

Reaches 62 cm total length (Atabak Mahjoor Azad, pers. comm., 16 June 2008); J. Valiallahi (pers. comm., 2001) believes this species reaches 1.5 m and 90 kg in the Zagros rivers of western Iran.

Distribution

Found in the Tigris-Euphrates basin, the Orontes River and the Quwayq River. In Iran it is found in the Tigris River basin (Abdoli, 2000; Ghorbani Chafi, 2000), in the Gulf basin from the Zohreh River and from the Shapur and Dalaki rivers (Gh. Izadpanahi, pers. comm., 1995), the lower Mand River (M. Rabbaniha, pers. comm., 1995), the Helleh, Dozgah, Dasht-e Palang (and its tributary the Shur) (Abdoli, 2000), in the Kor River basin (Abdoli, 2000), although not confirmed by specimens seen by me, and possibly in the Hormozgan basin.

Zoogeography

Almaça (1991) believes that this species originated from a colonisation wave from South Europe.

Habitat

van den Eelaart (1954) records this species from rivers in Iraq, moving into lakes and marshes on the floods but never far from rivers.

Age and growth

Unknown.

Food

Diet is benthic organisms including insects. Large plant remains and detritus are also present in gut contents of Iranian fish.

Reproduction

Al-Habbib et al. (1986) report spawning during July and August in fish from the Tigris River at Mosul, Iraq. Reproduction in Iran has not been studied.

Parasites and predators

None reported from Iran.

Economic importance

This species is a preferred catch of anglers at Ahvaz in Khuzestan, second only to shirbot (Barbus grypus).

Conservation

The population numbers of this species have not been well-studied nor has its distribution been well-documented. Since it does appear on fish markets in Khuzestan, is a large species and its habitats are under threat, it may require protection. Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).

Further work

The biology, distribution and population numbers of this species need investigation in Iranian waters.

Sources

Type material: See above, Barbus barbulus (NMW 6596), and note comments.

Iranian material: CMNFI 1979-0024, 1, 128.7 mm standard length, Fars, neighbourhood of Shiraz (no other locality data); CMNFI 1979-0109, 2, 91.1-91.6 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Shahr-e Khafr (28º56'N, 53º14'E); CMNFI 1979-0135, 1, 215.4 mm standard length, Fars, tributary to Mand River (28º08'N, 53º10'E); CMNFI 1979-0271, 1, 61.8 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º39'N, 48º32'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0290, 1, 139.1 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage in Qasr-e Shirin (34º31'N, 45º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0293, 1, 210.8 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Kavar (29º11'N, 52º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0349, 1, 126.0 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Kavar (29º11'N, 52º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0393, 1, 112.1 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Jarrahi River drainage (31º18'N, 49º37'E); CMNFI 1979-0497, 2, 117.4-134.4 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Band-e Bahman (29º11'N, 52º40'E); CMNFI 1980-0907, 1, ? mm standard length, Iran (no other locality data); CMNFI 1991-0153, 1, 230.0 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zohreh River (no other locality data); CMNFI 2007-0109, 3, 85.1-138.7 mm standard length, Kordestan, Qeshlaq River basin south of Sanandaj (ca. 35º16'N, ca. 47º01'E); CMNFI 2007-0110, 1, 191.1 mm standard length, Kordestan, Yuzidar River basin (ca. 35º05'N, ca. 46º56'E); CMNFI 2007-0111, 1, 153.0 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Alvand River near Sar-e Pol-e Zahab (ca. 34º36'N, ca. 45º56'E); CMNFI 2007-0113, 2, 123.9-139.6 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Qareh Su tributary northwest of Kermanshah (ca. 34º25'N, ca. 47º01'E); CMNFI 2007-0117, 4, 43.4-155.5 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Gav Masiab near Sahneh (ca. 34º24'N, ca. 47º40'E); uncatalogued, 1, 60.2 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Rud Zard at Rud Zard (31º22'N, 49º43'E).

Comparative material: BM(NH) 1920.3.3:23-30, 9, 80.2-98.9 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1931.12.21:4, 172.5 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1971.4.2:5, 1, 140.3 mm standard length, Iraq, Tigris near Mosul (36º20'N, 43º08'E); BM(NH) 1972.3.16:2, 69.4 mm standard length, Iraq, 10 km northwest Qala Dize (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1270, 174.6 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1271-1272, 2, 91.9-210.2 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1273-1274, 58.4-62.0 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1275-1277, 3, 182.4-201.0 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1278, 81.9 mm standard length, (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1289, 173.3 mm standard length, ();

Barbus brachycephalus
Kessler, 1872

Common names

zardek, زرده پر (= zardehpar), سس ماهي (= sos or sas mahi), سس ماهي خزري (sas mahi khazari), sassmahi-ye Daryaye-Khazar.

[xazar sirbiti or shirbit in Azerbaijan; Kaspiiskii usach or Caspian barbel and korotkogolovyi ustach or short-headed barbel in Russian; Aral barbel; short-headed barbel].

Systematics

Barbus brachycephalus was originally described from the Syr Darya in Uzbekistan.

Howes (1987) considers the generic placement of this species to be problematical. It has slender barbels, 7 branched dorsal fin rays and the cranium is broad and flat, all characters at odds with Barbus sensu stricto. Doadrio (1990) places it in the subgenus Luciobarbus Heckel, 1843 based on a series of 4 synapomorphic osteological characters, namely the exoccipital contacts the pterotic "largely" (sic, probably broadly), high medial process of the urohyal, narrow exoccipital apophysis of the pterotic, and wide 4th and 5th infraorbitals.

Barbus obtusirostris (non Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1842) Jakovlev, 1870 (nomen praeoccupatum), described from the Volga River delta, Russia, is a synonym.

A possible syntype of B. brachycephalus from the Aral Sea is in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 53971) (Almaça, 1986). The NMW card index lists this fish plus 2 fish in NMW 53972 and 1 fish in NMW 53973 as syntypes. Syntypes in St. Petersburg, Russia are lost (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Syntypes of Barbus brachycephalus caspius are in the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg under 2892 (8 fish), Transcaucasia, 3895 (8), Lenkoran, 9076 (22), 9085 (10), 9109(2), 9117(11), 9118(1), 9124(8), 9128(9), all from the lower Aras River and Lenkoran, 17042(2), 17043(1), 17044(1), all from the Bank Fishery along the lower Kura River. Syntypes under 10619 are apparently lost and a fish under 9108 is actually a Barbus capito (Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003).

The Caspian Sea basin subspecies is Barbus brachycephalus caspius Berg, 1914, described originally from the Caspian Sea basin (Eschmeyer et al., 1996). Karaman (1971), however, considers differences with the type subspecies of the Aral Sea basin to be minor and not worthy of subspecific recognition. Differences are in body proportions and the Caspian barbel has a smaller eye, lower dorsal fin, less deep body and head, longer pectoral-pelvic distance, shorter pelvic-anal distance, and dorsal fin further back than in the Aral barbel (Berg, 1948-1949). Fricke et al. (2007) list this taxon as a full species but also have brachycephalus in the same system in Turkey (Kura-Aras).

Key characters

The 7 branched dorsal fin rays and the predorsal distance shorter than the postdorsal distance distinguishes this species from B. capito, and colour pattern distinguishes it from B. lacerta, the other Caspian Sea barbels.

Morphology

The mouth is moderate in size and subterminal. Lips are thin to moderate, without a median lobe on the lower lip, and barbels are of moderate thickness. The anterior barbels can reach the level of the posterior eye margin and the posterior barbels reach or pass the preopercle level but barbel lengths show marked individual variation.

Dorsal fin with 3-5, usually 4, unbranched and 6-8, usually 7, branched rays, anal fin with 2-3, usually 3, unbranched and 5-6, usually 5, branched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 14-17 and pelvic fin branched rays 7-8, usually 8. The dorsal fin denticles on the last unbranched ray are usually moderate in number, but may be lost in very large adults, are usually well-developed and extend along four-fifths of the ray (Karaman, 1971). This ray is very strong. Lateral line scales 62-90, commonly 65-77. Scales are elongate with a central focus and few anterior and posterior radii in young fish. There is a pelvic axillary scale. Gill rakers 16-25, short and reaching the one below when appressed. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2, hooked at the tip with the fourth tooth of the inner row large and blunt and the first three spatulate, rarely 2,3,4-5,3,2 or 2,3,4-4,3,2. Total vertebrae 45-50, usually 46-49, mode 48. The gut is coiled anteriorly. The chromosome number is 2n=100 (Klinkhardt et al., 1995).

Iranian specimens have the following meristics: branched dorsal fin rays 7(3), branched anal rays 5(3), branched pectoral fin rays 16(1) or 17(2), and branched pelvic fin rays 8(3). Lateral line scales 69(2) or 71(1). Total gill rakers 18(1) or 19(2). Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(2) or 2,3,4-5,3,2(1). Total vertebrae ?.

Sexual dimorphism

Abdurakhmanov (1962) reports on fish from the Kura River basin where males have a longer dorsal fin base and females have a greater maximum body depth, width and girth. Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) report that males have a shorter head and longer unpaired fins; nuptial tubercles and colouration are absent.

Colour

The back is dark green, flanks and belly lighter, and the two areas may contrast as in Barbus capito. No dark spots on the body. Fins greyish. Peritoneum brown.

Size

Reaches 22.5 kg (Robins et al., 1991) and 1.2 m.

Distribution

Found in the Caspian and Aral seas and their tributaries. In Iran, it was formerly known from the Anzali Mordab but is probably no longer present (Holčík and Oláh, 1992; but see below) and it was listed as rare in the Safid Rud (Derzhavin, 1934). Nedoshivin and Il'in (1929) and Nevraev (1929) recorded it from the Gorgan, Astrabad and Enzeli (= Anzali) regions. Recent works place it in rivers from the Astara to the Neka and Gorgan Bay peninsula, in the Anzali Mordab, and along the whole Caspian Sea coast but these are summaries of past and present distributions (Riazi, 1996; Abbasi et al., 1999; Kiabi et al., 1999; Abdoli, 2000). This species is now very rare in the Caspian Sea basin of Iran, with only a couple of specimens found in a recent survey (M. Ramin, pers. comm., 2000).

This species is also recorded from the Karakum Canal and Kopetdag Reservoir in Turkmenistan (Shakirova and Sukhanova, 1994; Sal'nikov, 1995) and may eventually reach Iranian waters in the Tedzhen (= Hari) River basin.

Zoogeography

Almaça (1984b) considers this species to be a Sarmatian Sea remnant, a Neogene brackish-water basin.

Habitat

Enters rivers to spawn but does not ascend as high as Barbus capito. It prefers deep sections of rivers with stony and gravel bottoms. In the Caspian Sea it may be found at 13-25 m depth. On the Kura River in Azerbaijan there is a spring run and one in August-September. The spring run begins in March and lasts about 50 days; the summer run starts after a short interruption and lasts about 190 days. The water temperature at the start of the spring run is 6.7-11.0°C but the most intensive migration is in summer at 25.2-27.2°C (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Spring run fish spawn in the same year. This species has been recorded at depths of 11.0-11.9 m in the Iranian Caspian Sea (Knipovich, 1921). Riazi (1996) reports that this species migrates into the Siah-Keshim Protected Region of the Anzali Mordab. Jolodar and Abdoli (2004) state that it is more abundant in Gilan than in Mazandaran coastal waters.

Young females usually enter the sea immediately but males may remain in fresh water for 3-5 years. Spawners return to the sea.

Age and growth

Most fish examined by Razivi et al. (1972) from commercial catches in Iran were 2-7 years old, 38.0-69.0 cm long and weighed 698-4658 g. Low recruitment is attributed to poor spawning success, a result of water abstraction during its spawning season. Sexual maturity is attained at 6-8 years. Holčík and Oláh (1992) note that the Anzali region catches are dominated by 3-5 year old fish, 38-71 cm fork length, with rapid growth and a weight of 2 kg attained during the fifth year of life. Abdurakhmanov (1962) gives a maximum life span of 13 years in Azerbaijan. Females live longer than males which only reach 10 years (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003).

Food

No detailed literature reports but gut contents of small specimens from Iran contain crustaceans, and insects such as, curiously, ants, thrips and mosquitos. This fish evidently feeds on insects taken at the surface and is reported as leaping out of the water to take flying insects (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Mayflies and caddisflies are also taken and gut contents includes detritus. Crustaceans are the main food taken in the Caspian Sea (Abdurakhmanov, 1962) but molluscs are also recorded as well as small fish.

Reproduction

This barbel spawns in swift streams over pebbles or sand during July and August in Iran and the eggs attach to rocks (Razivi et al., 1972). Holčík and Oláh (1992) and Makeeva and Pavlov (2000) state that eggs are semipelagic, hatching as they drift downstream over 2 days at 25°C. Fry are carried downstream. Up to 1,259,000 bright-yellow eggs are produced of 1.4 mm diameter and the spawning season on the Kura River begins at the end of April, peaks in June and ends at the end of August. Favoured temperatures are 20-23°C (Abdurakhmanov, 1962). First spawning is at 5-7 years of age with females taking a year longer to mature than males (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003).

Parasites and predators

Molnár and Jalali (1992) record the monogenean Dactylogyrus affinis from this species in the Safid River.

Economic importance

This species is caught as a food fish in Iran. Nevraev (1929) records catches of 37 to 962 individuals from the Anzali region for the years 1914-1915 to 1917-1918. It was abundant in the Anzali Mordab with total catches for Iran of 54.6 t and 32.9 t in 1969/70 and 1970/71 (28.7 t and 14.4 t for the Anzali region alone) but few fish are captured now (Holčík and Oláh, 1992) (note that these figures were taken from Appendix 11, on page 10 they are reversed). They are caught in rogas (outflowing rivers from the Anzali Mordab) and inflowing rivers of the mordab (lagoon) in late winter and early spring. On the Kura River of Azerbaijan average weight in catches was 5.6 kg for females and 3.5 kg for males and the catch from 1920-1944 varied from 0.2 to 3.6 thousand centners.

Robins et al. (1991) list this species as important to North Americans. Importance is based on its use as food and in aquaria.

Conservation

Vulnerable in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007). Stocks of this species have declined because of poor habitat for spawning and the construction of dams and weirs which restricted access to spawning grounds. Water abstraction for irrigation during the summer spawning season would have to be balanced against the requirements of the fish. Larvae of spring spawners are lost when they enter irrigation channels and become stranded in fields (Razivi et al., 1972).

Once known from the Anzali Mordab, it is now absent to rare there and apparently replaced by Barbus capito (Holčík and Oláh, 1992). Kiabi et al. (1999) consider this species to be critically endangered in the south Caspian Sea basin according to IUCN criteria. Criteria include commercial fishing, sport fishing, few in number, habitat destruction, limited range (less than 25% of water bodies), absent in other water bodies in Iran, and absent outside the Caspian sea basin.

This species is regarded as critically endangered through illegal overfishing, pollutants and the destruction of breeding and nursery grounds. Only 2 specimens were caught in the 3 years prior to 2000 during a study of Barbus species in Iran. Additionally, during the 6 month beach seine fishing season (October to April) for the years 1998 and 1999 along the Caspian shore, no specimens were caught in 138 beach seines used 51,000 times (M. Ramin, pers comm., 2000).

Further work

Detailed surveys, perhaps returning captures alive, need to be carried out to monitor the status of this species in Iran.

Sources

Type material: ?

Iranian material: CMNFI 1970-0553, 2, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Sowsar Roga (37º27'N, 49º30'E); CMNFI 1980-0120, 1, 115.3 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Babol River at Babol Sar (36º43'N, 52º39'E);

Barbus capito
(Güldenstaedt, 1773)

B. capito (above) and B. mursa (below) Aras River, 2 October 1994
Courtesy of Asghar Abdoli

Common names

usach bulatmai, usach chanari; zardi, zardek, zardak, زرده پر (= zardehpar), zard pareh, اورنج (oranj, orenj, orenge or ourange, possibly from the yellowish fin colour)سس ماهي (= sos, sas or sass mahi), pulad mahi (= steel fish from body colour), ses mahi bozorg (= big ? fish, ses being a word of unknown meaning).

[zardapar, shirbit, yastibas zardapar for natio platycephalus, all in Azerbaijan; tchanari in Georgian; bulatmai in Turkish; usach (or usatch) bulatmai and usach chanari in Russian]. Bulatmai is derived from Farsi, bulat = pulad or steel, mai = mahi or fish in reference to the colour on the upper flank].

Systematics

Cyprinus capito was originally described from the Kura River, Transcaucasia. No types are extant.

Howes (1987) places this species in Barbus sensu stricto. Doadrio (1990) places it in the subgenus Luciobarbus Heckel, 1843 based on a series of osteological characters (listed under Barbus brachycephalus).

Cyprinus bulatmai Hablizl, 1783 (after Berg (1948-1949; Rainboth (1981) has Gmelin, 1774 as the author while Eschmeyer et al. (1996) have Gmelin, 1784 (originally described from Anzali, Iran), Cyprinus chalybatus Pallas, 1814 (originally described from Anzali, Iran), Cyprinus mystaceus Pallas, 1814 (partim, from Tiflis), Barbus conocephalus Kessler, 1872 described from the Zeravshan River, Uzbekistan, Barbus lacertoides Kessler, 1872 described from the Syr-Darya in the neighbourhood of Khodzhent (= Leninabad), Tajikistan, Barbus capito var. tiflissica Kamenskii, 1899 described from the Kura River at Tiflis (= Tbilisi), Georgia, and Barbus bilkewitschi Bulgakov, 1923 (originally described from the "Atrek", i.e. the Atrak River in Turkmenistan on the northeastern border of Iran; also spelt bilkewitchi on page 236 in Bulgakov but bilkewitschi on the plate), are synonyms. Barbus capito serratus Sokolinskii, 1927 is a subspecies from the southern Caspian Sea and Barbus capito platycephalus Abdurakhmanov, 1960 is a subspecies or a natio in the lower Kura River basin (see Abdurakhmanov (1962) for further details). Berg (1948-1949) and Karaman (1971) consider Barbus capito serratus to be a synonym of B. c. capito.

Bianco and Banarescu (1982) record this species from the Hablehrud and the Kul River basin at Darab in Persian Gulf drainages. The 2 specimens have 52 lateral line scales, 8 branched dorsal fin rays and 18-19 gill rakers. They acknowledge that these 2 fish have fewer scales than B. capito from the Caspian Sea basin but believe they may represent a new subspecies. These fish are presumed to be misidentifications as B. capito is restricted to the Caspian Sea basin.

Laloei et al. (2003) using the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene found no separable populations of this species in 60 samples from the Iranian Caspian Sea coast and rivers.

Key characters

The 8 branched dorsal fin rays and the predorsal distance considerably longer than the postdorsal distance distinguishes this species from B. brachycephalus, and colour pattern distinguishes it from B. lacerta, the other Caspian Sea barbels.

Morphology

There is a rounded keel on the back in front of the dorsal fin. The mouth is moderate in size, inferior and horseshoe-shaped. Lips are fleshy and well-developed with tubercles but there is no free median lobe on the lower lip. Barbels can be the most developed in thickness in this species among the Barbus considered here but this can vary. The anterior barbel extends back between the anterior eye margin level and its middle and the posterior barbel extends to the posterior eye margin level or almost to the preopercle in young and some adults.

Dorsal fin with 3-5, usually 4-5, unbranched rays followed by 7-9, usually 8, branched rays and anal fin with 2-4, usually 3, unbranched and 5-6, usually 5, branched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 15-19 and pelvic fin branched rays 7-9. The dorsal fin denticles on the last unbranched ray may be lost in very large adults but are evident for two-thirds or more of the spine length in most fish (Karaman, 1971; Almaça, 1981). The last unbranched ray is moderately strong and the denticles are of moderate density along it. Lateral line scales 51-72, usually 60-66 (Karaman (1971) gives 36-70 but he includes 8 subspecies over a wide range within his definition of the species). There is no obvious pelvic axillary scale although scales in this region are elongate. The scale focus is slightly subcentral anterior, there are numerous fine circuli, and there are radii on all fields with those on the lateral fields few and often curved. Gill rakers 12-19, rarely to 22, increasing in number with the size of the fish, reaching the one below or slightly further when appressed, rounded and knobbed tip, and a large internal rounded extension. Pharyngeal teeth usually 2,3,5-5,3,2 with minor variants, hooked and spoon-like below with the depression below the crown filled in, the fourth one in the inner row the largest and pointed or blunt and rounded, the fifth smaller and blunt. The gut is long and complexly coiled with several anterior and posterior loops. Total vertebrae 42-45 (Howes, 1987), 45-47 (Elanidze, 1983), 43-49 (Bogutskaya, Bănărescu and Almaça in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Chromosome number 2n=100, NF=172 (Pourali Darestani et al., 2006).

Iranian fish have the following meristics: branched dorsal fin rays 7(1) or 8(49), anal fin branched rays 5(50), pectoral fin branched rays 16(3), 17(27), 18(18) or 19(2), pelvic fin rays 7(2) or 8(48); lateral line scales 53(3), 54(4), 55(7), 56(10), 57(6), 58(7), 59(7), 60(5) or 61(1); total gill rakers 13(3), 14(15), 15(18), 16(9), 17(4) or 18(1); pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(33), 2,3,5-5,3,1(1), 2,3,4-5,3,2(2), 2,3,5-4,3,2(1), 2,3,5-5,2,1(1), 2,2,5-5,3,2(1); and total vertebrae ?

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown, apparently no spawning colouration or breeding tubercles.

Colour

The upper flank and head are steel-grey (hence bulat mahi) and the lower flank and belly are a strongly contrasting pale yellow or pearly-white. Occasionally fish with a uniform coloration are found and preserved material may be uniform. The steel-grey upper flank may be comprised of dark scale margins surrounding a silvery-grey scale centre. The lateral line may be darkly pigmented. Spots may occur individually on the body. The iris is silvery with a grey exterior ring and a very narrow interior golden ring. Barbels are white with grey on the inner surface. The dorsal fin is greyish and may have some dark grey spots. The caudal fin has a greyish or yellowish or slightly orange upper lobe, sometimes with faint dark grey spots, a more strongly coloured and larger yellow-orange to canary-yellow lower lobe and pink margins. The pectoral fin is whitish with a little or considerable amount of pink or yellow. The pelvic and anal fins are canary-yellow to orange with a white margin. Young fish may be darkly speckled and mottled on the mid and upper flank rather like Barbus lacerta. Peritoneum dark brown.

Size

Reaches 1.05 m and 15 kg in literature reports. A specimen from the Sardabrud was 85 cm and 5.5 kg (A. Abdoli, pers. comm., 1995).

Distribution

Found in the basins of the Black, Caspian and Aral seas. Karaman (1971) gives a distribution from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to Southwest Asia but he includes 8 subspecies within his definition of Barbus capito.

In Iran, this species is found in the Caspian Sea basin, in rivers from the Aras to the Atrak and the Anzali Mordab, the Qezel Owzan and Shahrud in the upper Safid River basin, and the along the sea coast (Derzhavin, 1934; Bianco and Banarescu, 1982; Almaca 1984a; Aliev et al., 1988; Holčík and Oláh, 1992; Kiabi et al., 1994; Abbasi et al., 1999; Kiabi et al., 1999; Abdoli, 2000).

Barbus capito conocephalus Kessler, 1872 is reported from the Karakum Canal, Kopetdag Reservoir and Uzboi lakes in Turkmenistan (Shakirova and Sukhanova, 1994; Sal'nikov, 1995) and may eventually be recorded from the Tedzhen River and Caspian Sea basins in Iran.

Zoogeography

Almaça (1984b) considers this species to be a Sarmatian Sea remnant, a Neogene brackish-water basin, and related to Euro-Mediterranean Barbus.

Habitat

This species avoids muddy bottoms (Solak, 1977) although Bogutskaya, Bănărescu and Almaça in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) report that it prefers warm, deep, slowly-flowing water above gravel, sand or mud and can be found in lacustrine habitats. Spawning migrations in the Kura River of Azerbaijan go as far up as Aragva and generally it ascends to the uppermost tributaries of rivers it enters. The spawning run in the Kura lasts almost the whole year except for the two coldest months. However the main spawning runs are in September-October and April (Bogutskaya, Bănărescu and Almaça in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). The Caspian Sea form is anadromous but there are also resident forms in the rivers there. Knipovich (1921) reports this species at depths of 9.15-14.2 m, possibly deeper, in the Iranian Caspian Sea. There are both resident and andromous populations in the Anzali lagoon (Karimpour, 1998).

Age and growth

Solak (1989c) examined a population of this species in the Aras River in Turkey and found a life span of over 4 years, but over 6 years in the Çoruh River of the Black Sea basin of Turkey. In the Caspian Sea basin fish may live up to 8 years (Abdurakhmanov, 1962). Anadromous fish are heavier than fish of the same length that are river residents. Maturity is attained at 3-5 years with females mature one year later than males. Spring migrants spawn that summer while summer or autumn migrants overwinter to spawn the following spring or summer (Bogutskaya, Bănărescu and Almaça in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Shajiee et al. (2002) found a sex ratio of 3:1 for male:female fish in the Caspian Sea off Gilan and a life span of 8 years. Gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, length-weight relationships and other growth and fecundity indices were given.

Food

Stomach contents consist of insects, crustaceans and worms, and filamentous algae and other plant material with associated invertebrates. Terrestrial insects, small fishes and frogs are also taken. Abdoli (2000) reports Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Chironomidae. One specimen from Iran had fish remains, possibly a small Barbus capito. Abdurakhmanov (1962) reports grasshoppers and ants, presumably taken at the surface.

Reproduction

Eggs number up to 193,600 and diameters up to 1.8 mm in Azerbaijan (Abdurakhmanov, 1962). A fish with well-developed testes was caught in the Gorgan River on 7 July, suggesting a spawning season of late spring and summer, agreeing with egg diameters of fish from Azerbaijan which are largest in June.

Parasites and predators

Molnár and Jalali (1992) record the monogenean Dactylogyrus linstowi from this species in the Safid Rud. Masoumian and Pazooki (1998) surveyed myxosporeans in this species in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces, finding Myxobolus musculi. Masoumian et al. (2005) recorded the protozoan parasites Ichthyophthirius multifilis and Trichodina perforata from this species in water bodies in West Azarbayjan. Masoumian et al. (2003) record Myxobolus musculi while Pazooki et al. (2003) and Pazooki (2006) record Rhabdochona hellichi, Paradiplozoon homoion and Pseudocapillaria tomentosa, all reports from fishes captured in the Tajan and Zarem rivers of Mazandaran. Sattari et al. (2002) and Sattari (2004) records the presence of the nematode, Eustrongylides excisus, in the body cavity. This parasite can damage muscles in commercial species and render them unsuitable for sale. Sattari et al. (2005) surveyed this species in the inshore area of the Caspian Sea, recording Eustrongyloides excisus and Anisakis sp. Pazooki et al. (2007) recorded various parasites from localities in West Azarbayjan Province, including Neoechinorhynchus rutili from this species.

Economic importance

Holčík and Oláh (1992) report a catch of only 9 kg in the Anzali Mordab for 1990. This species had a catch of 17 tonnes in 1997, 28 t in 1998 and 7 t in 1999 during the 6 month beach seine fishing season (October to April). For the years 1998 and 1999, 138 beach seines were used 51,000 times (M. Ramin, pers. comm., 2000). This species was of minor importance commercially in the former U.S.S.R. and is a sport fish in Georgia (Bogutskaya, Bănărescu and Almaça in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). In East Azarbayjan it reaches sizes large enough for sport fishing and as a commercial species (Ghasemi, 2002).

Conservation

Kiabi et al. (1999) consider this species to be conservation dependent in the south Caspian Sea basin according to IUCN criteria. Criteria include commercial fishing, sport fishing, medium in numbers, habitat destruction, widespread range (75% of water bodies), absent in other water bodies in Iran, and present outside the Caspian Sea basin. Mostafavi (2007) lists it as conservation dependent in the Talar River, Mazandaran. Vulnerable in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).

Further work

Biology and numbers of this species needs investigation.

Sources

Type material: ?

Iranian material: CMNFI 1970-0521, 7, ?-102.5 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River near Lulaman (no other locality data); CMNFI 1970-0525, 5, 111.9-133.4 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River near Mohsenabad (no other locality data); CMNFI 1970-0526, 19, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River 6 km below Astaneh Bridge (37º19'N, 49º57'30"E); CMNFI 1970-0531, 1, 157.3 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Larim River (36º46'N, 52º58'E); CMNFI 1970-0536, 1, 194.4 mm standard length, Gilan, Siah River estuary near Rudbar (36º53'N, 49º32'E); CMNFI 1970-0538, 10, 36.7-188.5 mm standard length, Gilan, Qezel Owzan River near Manjil (36º44'N, 49º24'E); CMNFI 1970-0543A, 1, 170.4 mm standard length, Gilan, Caspian Sea at Hasan Kiadeh (37º24'N, 49º58'E); CMNFI 1970-0546, 10, 39.3-61.8 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River canal (no other locality data); CMNFI 1970-0553, 1, 58.1 mm standard length, Gilan, Sowsar Roga (37º27'N, 49º30'E); CMNFI 1970-0563, 1, 70.1 mm standard length, Gilan, Caspian Sea at Kazian Beach (ca. 37º29'N, ca. 49º29'E); CMNFI 1970-0568, 8, 62.5-132.0 mm standard length, Gilan, Caspian Sea at Kazian Beach (ca. 37º29'N, ca. 49º29'E); CMNFI 1970-0581, 6, 41.3-65.5 mm standard length, Gilan, Caspian Sea near Hasan Kiadeh (37º24'N, 49º58'E); CMNFI 1970-0587, 3, 69.0-91.4 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Babol River at Babol Sar (36º43'N, 52º39'E); CMNFI 1979-0431, 2, 240.9-265.5 mm standard length, Mazandaran, bazaar at Now Shahr (no other locality data); CMNFI 1979-0437, 1, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River 2 km west of Astaneh (37º16'30"N, 49º56'E): CMNFI 1979-0452, 2, 53.5-56.5 mm standard length, Azarbaijan-e Khavari, Qezel Owzan River 6 km from Mianeh (37º23'N, 47º45'E); CMNFI 1979-0486, 2, 69.2-78.8 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Atrak River draiange (37º44'N, 56º18'E); CMNFI 1979-0488, 1, 95.8 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Atrak River at Maraveh Tappeh (37º55'N, 55º57'30'E); CMNFI 1979-0491, 1, 191.5 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Gorgan River 15 km northeast of Kalaleh (ca. 37º33'N, ca. 55º44'E); CMNFI 1979-0686, 19, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River (37º24'N, 49º58'E): CMNFI 1979-0695, 4, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River at Manjil Bridge (36º46'N, 49º24'E): CMNFI 1979-0788, 2, 152.0-202.4 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Gorgan River at Khadje Nafas (37º00'N, 54º07'E); CMNFI 1980-0116, 8, ?-62.4 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River at Astaneh Bridge (37º16'30"N, 49º56'E); CMNFI 1980-0123, 8, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River (ca. 37º22'N, ca. 49º57'E): CMNFI 1980-0127, 1, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Caspian Sea near Hasan Kiadeh (37º24'N, 49º58'E): CMNFI 1980-0132, 8, ? mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River at Kisom (37º12'N, 49º54'E); CMNFI 1980-0138, 2, 132.5-137.6 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River estuary (ca. 37º28'N, ca. 49º54'E); CMNFI 1980-0905, 1, 188.9 mm standard length, Mazandaran, Gorgan River at Khadje Nafas (37º00'N, 54º07'E); CMNFI 1980-0908, 3, 67.2-91.3 mm standard length, Gilan, Safid River estuary (ca. 37º28'N, ca. 49º54'E); uncatalogued, 2, 245.7-272.8 mm standard length, Markazi, Shah River (no other locality data);

Barbus esocinus
(Heckel, 1843)

Darreshahr, Simarreh River, April 1987,
photo by N. Atarody; courtesy of B. Kiabi

Kermanshah, Simarreh River,
courtesy of B. Kiabi

more photos

Common names

سونگ (= soong) or بچ ( = bach) in northern Khuzestan and Lorestan, anzeh, anzah, narbach, and anzeh-bach at Ahvaz and in southern Khuzestan (meanings unknown); بل زرد (= balzard).

[bizz (in Iraq), farkh-el-biz (= cheerful one (Heckel, 1843b) or baby of bizz), farch or mangar in Arabic; "Tigris salmon", "Euphrates salmon", pike barb, pike barbel].

Systematics

Howes (1987) places this species in Barbus sensu stricto. Labeobarbus Euphrati Sauvage, 1882 described from "Biredjik (Euphrates)", Turkey (not "Irak" as in Bertin and Estève (1948)) is a synonym.

Karaman (1971) places this species in the synonymy of Barbus xanthopterus as he considered the only difference to be scale count and the range of variation for these species is unknown. Almaça (1983, 1986) agrees that several meristic characters are similar while the main differences are a shorter head and barbels in esocinus and dotted coloration in esocinus as opposed to uniform in xanthopterus (isn't the reverse true?). He maintains them as separate species because information on variability in characters is lacking.

Examination of the types of B. esocinus (NMW 54088, 2, 58.5-61.5 mm standard length, 54091, 372.4 mm, 54092, 321.3 mm) and B. xanthopterus (NMW 54841a (a syntype), 216.5 mm, 54786 (not a type), 292.8 mm) in Vienna showed the following differences. Head size differs in the two taxa in that esocinus postorbital length is very elongate and the head tapers anteriorly in a distinctive fashion. Head length in standard length is 3.2-3.6, mean 3.4 for esocinus and 4.0-4.2, mean 4.1 for xanthopterus and postorbital length in standard length is 5.9-7.2, mean 6.5 for esocinus and 7.7-7.8, mean 7.8 for xanthopterus with the higher values for esocinus based on smaller fish which tend to have proportionately larger heads. Total gill raker counts are 8-10, mean 9.3 for esocinus and 12-13, mean 12.5 for xanthopterus. Larger esocinus appear to lose anterior rakers with age but still have fewer than xanthopterus of similar size. Lateral line scale counts are 63-70, mean 67.3 in esocinus and 57-60, mean 58.5 in xanthopterus. On this limited basis I am maintaining the two species as distinct. An Iranian specimen, 284.3 mm standard length (ZSM 21830 from the Dez River), falls within the ranges given above. see xanthopterus?

Almaça (1986) records syntypes of Luciobarbus esocinus in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien from the type locality as given by (Heckel, 1843b) "bei Mossul in Tigris", Iraq (NMW 54088 (2 specimens), NMW 54091 (1), and NMW 54092 (1) but Heckel (1843b) does not specify the number of types). A syntype is in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 454, formerly NMW; 281.2 mm standard length) and another syntype is also there but dried (SMF 6785, formerly NMW) (F. Krupp, pers. comm., 1985). The catalogue in Vienna lists 2 fish in spirits and 2 fish stuffed.

The mounted holotype of Labeobarbus euphrati is in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN A.6961) and measures 1650 mm total length (Bertin and Estève, 1948). Eschmeyer et al. (1996) indicate that the catalogue number may be A.6971.

Key characters

This species is characterised by large size, a long, tapering and depressed head (rather pike-like in shape), two pairs of barbels, a serrated dorsal fin spine, lateral line scale count high (63-78), moderately developed lips, and no large flank spots. Head length in standard length 3.1-3.7, mean ? and postorbital length in standard length 5.9-7.2, mean ? for ? specimens ?-? mm standard length including the types listed above. (includes SMF454 281.2 mm SL, HL 75.6, postorb 44.1, snout 21.5

Morphology

Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 8 branched rays, anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5 branched rays, pectoral fin with 16-18 branched rays and pelvic fin with 8 branched rays. Lateral line scales 62-78. Scales are regularly arranged, the smallest being on the isthmus anterior to the pectoral fin bases. There is a pelvic axillary scale. Scales have a central focus, numerous fine circuli, a wavy or rounded anterior margin, and radii on the anterior and posterior fields with a few widely spaced ones on the lateral fields. Gill rakers 8-12, well spaced and just touching the one below when appressed. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2, hooked with the third tooth of the inner row slightly larger than the fourth and the fifth smaller. Heckel (1843b) gives 2,3,4-4,3,2, and teeth from large specimens seen at Ahvaz in 1995 by me had 2,3,4-4,3,2 and 2,3,5-4,3,2, the anteriormost tooth being small or absent. Even small specimens (85.7 mm standard length) may have the anteriormost tooth absent. Total vertebrae 48 (Howes, 1987) or 48-50 based on comparative materials listed below. The last unbranched dorsal fin ray is very strong, with a low density of denticles but with fine denticles extending over much of the ray. The mouth is large, terminal and almost horizontal and extends back to the anterior eye margin. Lips are thin to moderate without a median lobe to the interrupted lower lip, and barbels are thin to very thin. The anterior barbel does not reach past the nostril level and the posterior barbel does not pass the mid-eye to rear eye level. The nostril is elongate and closer to the eye than the snout tip. The cephalic canals on the suborbital series have numerous branches. The gut is an elongate s-shape with several anterior loops.

Meristics for an Iranian specimen:- dorsal fin branched rays 8; anal fin branched rays 5; pectoral fin branched rays 17; pelvic fin branched rays 8; lateral line scales 69; and total gill rakers 9.

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Colour

The back has numerous scattered, black spots on an olivaceous background, the spots extending onto the base of the dorsal fin. Spots may be weak or absent but this is comparatively rare. Overall colour is silvery with the anal and caudal fins dark red. The flanks and belly are lighter. The eye is yellowish in colour. Young fish have a yellow tinge or sulphur yellow colour to the fins.

Size

Frequently up to 3 hundredweights (= 152.4 kg) in the Zab River of Iraq southeast of Mosul (Heckel, 1846-1849a); a fish 6'4" (1.93 m) long with a girth of 3'10" (1.17 m) and a weight of 215 lbs (97.6 kg) from the Euphrates River at Hakika (Light, 1917; wrongly identified as Barbus scheich according to the editors in an article by Gudger (1945a)); 69 inches (1.75 m) measured over the curve of a back with a 38 inch (0.97 m) girth and a weight of 123 lbs (55.8 kg) caught in the Diyala River, Iraq on a light 14-foot rod taking 1½ hours to land (Bagnall, 1919); 96 lb (43.6 kg) fish caught near Kizil Robat (= As Sa`diyah) in the Diyala River on a lump of atta (a ball of dough)(MacKay, 1919)(Bagnall, a Major, out-doing MacKay, a Brigadier-General); 140 lbs (63.6 kg) Tigris salmon caught on a 2" spoon at Samarra (Lane, 1920); hundreds of good weight up to 112 lbs (50.8 kg), one caught on a hand-line at 170 lbs (77.2 kg), one netted at 252 lbs (114.4 kg), and reputedly over 300 lbs (136 kg)(Radcliffe, 1926); up to two yards (1.83 m) as evidenced by a photograph of a specimen draped over a donkey in Iraqi Kurdistan (Hamilton, 1937); 2 m and 150 kg in Iraq (van den Eelaart, 1954; Herzog, 1967); a 167 lb (75.8 kg) Tigris specimen and a 213 lb (96.7 kg) specimen at Nassiriyah on the Euphrates, called both gattan and "Euphrates salmon" but it was presumably the latter (Vesey-Fitzgerald and Lamonte (no date)); weights up to 300 lbs (136 kg) and the largest taken on rod-and-line as 220 lb (100 kg) and 7 feet (2.1 m), baits used included atta and dates, and chicken or sheep liver (Mahdi, 1962). Beck (pers. comm., 2000) reports the largest fish seen in the 1990s along the Syrian Euphrates and its tributaries weighed 198 kg. A fish caught in 2001 on the Euphrates River near Birecik in Turkey with a net weighed 111 kg and was 2.4 m long (www.fishing-worldrecords.com, downloaded 16 February 2007).

Iranian records of large specimens include one by Mr. Chabok-Savar, a Game Warden or biologist of the Department of the Environment who caught a specimen about 80 kg in the Simareh River in 1973 and N. Atarody, also a Game Warden or biologist, caught two large specimens in April 1987 from "Tang-e Gheer" on the Simareh near Darreh Shahr (Abzeeyan, Tehran, 3 (August-September):19, 1992). A 1.65 m and 75 kg specimen is reported from the Dez River and a 2.1 m specimen is reported from the market at Ahvaz in 1993 (this last fish may have weighed 150 kg, original report not seen; J. Valiallahi, pers. comm., 2001). The Gav Masiab, a river in Kordestan, is reputedly named for these large fishes ("river with fishes as large as a cow")(J. Valiallahi, www.modares.ac.ir, downloaded 4 July 2000). Floor (2003) gives a photograph of a large specimen from the Karun River.

Distribution

This species is found in the Tigris-Euphrates basin including its Iranian portion and the adjacent northern Gulf basin (Marammzai, 1995; Abdoli, 2000). It is reported as common in the Dez Dam (Gh. Eskandary, pers comm., 2000).

Zoogeography

Almaça (1984b, 1991) considers that the origin of this species lies with a group that migrated southwards in the late Pliocene from the Dacian Lake of the Sarmatian Sea and speciated in Mesopotamia.

Habitat

Found in large rivers and dams but also the more limited environment of palace ponds at Baghdad. Details of environmental requirements unknown.

Age and growth

Life span is at least 10 years (Ahmed, 1982). Fish in Khuzestan were found to have a sex ratio of 4.2:1.0 male:female (Gh. Eskandary, pers. comm., 2000; Eskandari et al., 2004). In the Dez Dam of northern Khuzestan females had a length range of 156-1350 mm and a weight range of 31.7-26,500 g while for males figures were 183-1065 mm and 48-12,208 g. Males matured faster than females, annual growth is slow and asymptotic length is more than 2 m. It appears to have a longer reproductive life compared to pre-maturation life (Eskandari et al., 2004).

Food

This species is a predator on other fishes. In the Dez Dam, all samples had fish in their stomachs although the gut to body length ratio indicates omnivory (Eskandari et al., 2004).

Reproduction

van den Eelaart (1954) reports spawning in Iraq in March. Eggs are laid between large stones in the deep part of rivers in March or April. Some fingerlings drift down into lakes and marshes. Eskandari et al. (2004) report a very short spawning season in the Dez Dam in spring after reservoir water levels rise through spring flooding. The fish is a total spawner with eggs released in upstream areas and shallows of the reservoir over gravel at 24ºC.

Parasites and predators

None reported from Iran.

Economic importance

In Iraqi Kurdistan these fish were caught and tethered by a cord passed through the lips until eaten by the villagers (Elliot, 1977). At Altan Keupri on the Lesser Zab River in Iraq a drugged bait was used to stupefy the fish so it could be netted and dragged to shore (Hamilton, 1937).

This species was being considered for aquaculture during the year 2000 in Khuzestan although fish larger than 1 m are needed to be ripe adults. Anglers and commercial fishermen seek this fish in the Iranian Zagros Mountains using ducklings (!) as bait (J. Valiallahi, pers. comm., 2001).

Robins et al. (1991) list this species as important to North Americans. Importance is based on its use in textbooks.

Conservation

This species is under severe threat in the Syria Euphrates and its tributaries. A survey in 1997-1998 caught only a single juvenile and the commercial fisheries had not more than two dozen fish. Blast fishing and poisoning had led to a decline in age of catches since 1993. Large scale water abstraction, dam building and pollution had destroyed habitats (R. Beck, pers. comm., 2000). It is listed by Stone (2007) as one of the world's largest freshwater fishes, presumed to be threatened.

A report of fish kill, presumably of this species, in the "Cham Ghorah" River near Mahabad in July 1999 numbering about half a million fish was owing to desiccation of the habitat (J. Valiallahi, www.modares.ac.ir, downloaded 4 July 2000).

Further work

Distribution and numbers are needed for a conservation assessment.

Sources

Type material: See above, NMW 54088.

Iranian material: ZSM 21830, 1, 284.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dez River at Harmaleh (31º57'N, 48º34'E). Some specimens observed in the IFRTO laboratory at Ahvaz (pharyngeal arches).

Comparative material: BM(NH) 1892.9.1:30, 1, 197.3 mm standard length, Iraq, Al Faw (29º58'N, 48º29'E); BM(NH) 1920.3.3:80-82, 3, 85.7-147.0 mm standard length, Iraq, Basrah (30º30'N, 47º47'E); BM(NH) 1931.8.12:5, 1, 111.8 mm standard length, Iraq, near Mosul (no other locality data); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1297, 1, 166.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Diyala River (no other locality data); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1810, 1, 220.1 mm standard length, Iraq, ?;

Barbus grypus
Heckel, 1843

Above photographs showing fleshy lips courtesy of Atabak Mahjoor Azad

Common names

شيربت (= shirbot, shirbod or shilbot), shaboot, سس ماهي (= sos or sas mahi), rumi, shebhe shirbot, سرخه (sorkheh, meaning= reddish, a local name in the Zohreh River - J. Gh. Marammazi, pers. comm., 1995), rumi (not heard of in Khuzestan).

[shabout or hamrawi in Arabic; large scaled barb, Tigris barbel].

Systematics

Howes (1987) places this species outside the genus Barbus sensu stricto as defined by him because it has the non-elongate lachrymal bone with a sensory canal running along the antero-dorsal border, a derived condition. Karaman (1971) and Ekmekçi and Banarescu (1998) placed it in the genus Tor (see above and below) and it may belong in Naziritor Mirza and Javed, 1985 (M. R. Mirza, pers. comm., 6 December 2003). Al-Hassan (1984) looked at several Barbus species and found the electropherogram of this species to be distinctive, perhaps indicating that molecular studies could resolve the relationships of this species. This distinction was reiterated by Jawad (2003).

The type locality of Barbus Grypus is "Tigris bei Mossul" (Heckel, 1843b) and Krupp (1985c) records a syntype (dried) from the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (formerly NMW) now in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt under SMF 2613, 375 mm standard length. One syntype is in the Museum für Naturkunde, Universität Humboldt, Berlin (ZMB 8788, not located February 2006). One syntype is in Vienna under NMW 54160, 2 are under NMW 54161 (280.9-318.9 mm total length as measured by me), and 1 is under NMW 91023 (Eschmeyer et al., 1996). The catalogue in Vienna lists 3 fish in spirits and 2 fish stuffed.

Labeobarbus Kotschyi Heckel, 1843 described from the "Tigris bei Mossul" is a synonym. Krupp (1985c) records a syntype from the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 49729, Th. Kotschy (188.8 mm standard length as measured by me). A dried specimen (NMW 59462) is also a syntype. Eschmeyer et al. (1996) also lists another syntype, NMW 91022. The catalogue in Vienna lists 1 fish in spirits and 2 fish stuffed.

Key characters

This species is identified by having two pairs of barbels, a strong, smooth spine in the dorsal fin, and less than 44 scales in the lateral line.

Morphology

The forehead is more rounded than in type material of kotschyi, although kotschyi types are smaller than grypus types which may account for this distinction. The mouth is inferior, horseshoe-shaped and has fleshy lips. The median lobe of the lower lip is well-developed in some individuals (such specimens were described as kotschyi - this form is rare in Khuzestan according to N. Najafpour, pers. comm., 1995) and intermediates can be seen) but not in others (grypus) (Karaman, 1971). The median lobe may extend back almost as far as the level of the rear margin of the lower lip or be distinctive with free lateral and rear margins but only extend back one third of this distance. The much fleshier lip structure in kotschyi (the upper lip can be reflexed for example) may be a form of hypertrophy seen in other cyprinid fishes. The last unbranched dorsal fin ray is smooth and spine-like, with sharp edges but no serrations although serrations are weakly developed in young fish. Barbels are about equal in length. The gut has two anterior and two posterior loops.

Dorsal fin unbranched rays 4, branched rays 7-9, usually 8, anal fin unbranched rays 3, branched rays 5, pectoral fin branched rays 14-18 (including counts from Jawad (1975)), and pelvic fin branched rays 7-8, usually 8. Total gill rakers 16-22 (including counts by Jawad (1975)). Krupp (1985c) cites 13-17 gill rakers, presumably lower arch ones only. Gill rakers reach the second raker below or beyond when appressed, with large tubercles or branches on the inner surface in 2 rows alternating left and right. Lateral line scales 32-43. A pelvic axillary scale is present. Scales have a subcentral anterior, almost central, focus, numerous fine circuli and many radii on all fields with the exposed part of the scale tubercular. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,4-4,3,2 in the literature, but see below, anterior teeth rounded, the most anterior one small and blunt, posterior ones spatulate with hooked tips. Total vertebrae 44-47 (Howes, 1987), 43-45 (Jawad, 1975) or 47(8), 48(7), 49(5) or 50(1) in fish seen by me (BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1283-1284, 1299-1315, 1317, 1323; 1920.3.3:1-18, 1874.4.28:24-6).

Ali et al. (1981) found differences in morphology for fish from Al-Therthar Reservoir and the Tigris River in Iraq, not by locality but by habitat type.

Iranian specimens have the following meristic data: dorsal fin branched rays 7(1), 8(20) or 9(1); anal fin branched rays 5(22); pectoral fin branched rays 15(2), 16(15), 17(4) or 18(1), and pelvic fin branched rays 7(1) or 8(21). Lateral line scales 32(4), 33(4), 34(4), 35(3), 36(3) or 37(3). Total gill rakers 16(4), 17(2), 18(3), 19(6), 20(4) or 21(2), with some evidence of higher counts in larger fish. Pharyngeal teeth usually 2,3,5-5,3,2(14) with variants 2,3,5-4,3,2(2), 2,3,4-5,3,2(2), 2,2,5-5,3,2(1) and 1,2,5-4,3,2(1), in contrast to literature reports of 4 main row teeth being typical.

Sexual dimorphism

Ali et al. (1981) found no sexual dimorphism in their Iraqi samples.

Colour

Overall colour has a pale rose to light orange effect, usually without other markings. The back is a dark olive-brown to blackish-green with the flanks pale rose, light orange to yellowish to silvery and belly silvery to milk-white. There may be an indistinct stripe along the mid-flank. Large fish have the upper flank darkened from the overall orange colour of the mid-flank and the lower flank scales are rimmed in white so they stand out. Lips are pale red. The operculum is golden. The pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins are bright orange or pink at the base (perhaps white after preservation), distally blackish. Pectoral and pelvic fins may be dark overall with a reddish to reddish-brown tinge, and the leading edge of the pelvic fin pink. The anal fin may be a bluish-black distally. In some fish the caudal fin is black proximally and reddish distally. In large fish the pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal are progressively darker in this order. The anal and pelvic fins, the pectoral fins less so, may be heavily pigmented with melanophores on rays and membranes so as to appear black in preserved fish. The dorsal fin is hyaline. The eye rim is yellow-green to lime-green. Young fish may have some scales darkened, giving a mottled effect and are more silvery on the flank than large fish. Their pectoral and pelvic fins are more orange and the anal and caudal fins are only slightly tinged with colour. The caudal fin carries a lot of grey. The smallest fish have a very faint fin colouration. Peritoneum black.

Size

Attains 96.0 cm and 9.7 kg in Dukan Reservoir, Iraq and 96.0 cm and 11.0 kg in Atatürk Dam Lake on the Euphrates River in Turkey (Al-Hakim et al., 1981; Oymak et al., 2008). Gruvel (1931) cited 1.5 m and 30 kg for Syria. Banister (1980) gives nearly 2 m and 100 kg but this may be confusion with B. esocinus although Krupp (1992) also cites almost 2 m. Reputedly reaches 60 kg in Lorestan (S. Nazeeri, pers. comm., 2000) and Ghofleh Marammazi (2004) found fish up to 20 kg in Khuzestan. Specimens reach 3 kg even in the small canals of the sugar-cane fields of Khuzestan.

Distribution

This species is found in the Tigris-Euphrates basin and the Orontes River basin. In Iran it is found in the Tigris River basin up to the Simarreh including marshes such as the Hawr Al Azim, in the Gulf basin in the Zohreh, Shapur, Helleh, Dalaki, Dasht-e Palang, Shur, Dozgah and Mand rivers and Lake Famur (= Perishan), although rare in the latter, and in the Hormozgan basin in the Hasan Langi and Kul rivers (Berg, 1949; Gh. Izadpanahi, pers. comm., 1995; Marammazi, 1995; M. Rabbaniha, pers. comm., 1995; Maafi, 1996b; H. R. Alizadeh, pers comm., 2000; Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

Karaman (1971) considers this species to have an Indian line of descent, placing it in the genus Tor which most subsequent authors restrict to the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia.

Habitat

van den Eelaart (1954) and Al-Hamed (1966b; 1972) describe the habitat for this species in the Tigris River as distributed throughout the river and its tributaries. It is a strong swimmer. Mature fish move upstream to the spawning grounds and spent fish descend to their original habitat. In summer under low water level conditions and high temperatures, the smaller fish remain in the lower reaches of rivers but the larger fish migrate up rivers and tributaries, returning in September and October when temperatures fall. This species may enter marshes on floods, favouring areas where there is fresh river water, but returns to rivers as it requires a higher oxygen concentration than most marsh residents. Heydarpour (1978) gives a temperature range of 9-31ºC for this species under culture conditions in Khuzestan.

Marammazi (1994) considers this species to be versatile in its habitats in the Zohreh River which drains to the northern Persian Gulf. It was found throughout the river in contrast to Barbus sharpeyi which, being stenohaline, was restricted in its distribution. The form with a well-developed median lobe is said to occur in rocky habitats. This species is considered to be the dominant fish in the Karun and Zohreh rivers (Annual Report, 1994-1995, Iranian Fisheries Research and Training Organization, Tehran, p. 48, 1996; Iranian Fisheries Research and Training Organization Newsletter, 17:1, 1997). Ghofleh Marammazi (2004) found it in almost all water bodies in Khuzestan where it occurred under a wide range of temperatures and salinities. However its presence on the Khuzestan plain was for feeding while for reproduction it required more northerly areas with sandy or gravel substrates, high water flow, low temperatures and high oxygen content (Ghofleh Marammazi, 2000).

Age and growth

Al-Hakim et al. (1976) studied some aspects of the biology of this species in Razzaza Lake, Iraq. Males are longer than females before maturation and shorter thereafter. Females reach 13 years and males 8 years of age and fish mature at 45-48 cm total length in their fifth year. Males mature earlier than females. Ali et al. (1981) found this species to mature at 3-5 years of age and 40-50 cm in the Al-Therthar Reservoir (about 65 km northwest of Baghdad) and the Tigris River (Kut Dam) in Iraq. Jiad et al. (1984) studied this species in the Al-Hindiya Dam in Iraq and found similar results to the studies cited above.

Al-Hakim et al. (1981) studied this species in the Dukan Reservoir, west of Sulaimaniyah, Iraq. Life span is 17 years for females and 11 years for males. Growth slows with age, and especially after maturity, and is fastest in the first year of life. 30% of males mature at age group 3 (39 cm) and all were mature at age group 6 (48 cm). Al-Hamed (1966a; 1966b; 1972) working with Tigris River populations in Iraq, found males to mature at about 45 cm and females at about 50 cm, with most fish mature in their fourth year and spawning at the beginning of their fifth year of life. Some fish mature in age group 3 and some as late as age group 5. Maximum age observed was 12 years. Males outnumber females, being two thirds of the fish on the spawning grounds. Al-Hakim et al. (1981) found all females are mature at 51 cm (age group 7) but only 10% at 42 cm. Males mature earlier than females and may grow faster and die younger.

Ali et al. (1981) found growth to be better in fish from Al-Therthar Reservoir compared to those from the Tigris River in Iraq. The fishing methods used, both commercially and experimentally, caught mature fish of 40-50 cm and 3-5 years of age.

Oymak et al. (2008) examined age and growth in the Atatürk Dam Lake on the Euphrates River in Turkey. Fourteen age classes were found with age classes 4-6 for females and 2-4 for males dominant. von Bertalanffy growth equations were given for males and females.

Growth in a polluted section of the Diyala River, Iraq is poor compared to other populations (Khalaf et al., 1984; Khalaf et al., 1985).

Food

Al-Hamed (1965) found this species to be a herbivore taking filamentous algae and higher plant parts. Incidental food items taken while feeding on plants include fish tissue and scales. Fallen ripe fruits from trees overhanging the water are also consumed as are cereal grains from loading docks. It may also take some small fishes. Iranian specimens contain filamentous algae, plant fragments and associated invertebrates. Ghofleh Marammazi (2000) considers it to be an omnivore.

Reproduction

In Dukan Reservoir, Iraq spawning takes place from the beginning of May until the end of June. van den Eelaart (1954) and Al-Hamed (1966b; 1972) studied the reproduction of this species in Iraq. Eggs are deposited on fine gravels overlying a layer of coarse sand in shallow, wide holes. Water depth varies from 30 to 150 cm. Egg diameter is 1.5 mm and fecundity up to 147,000. The spawning season on the Tigris River between Beled and Tigrit is late May to late June after an upriver migration in April. Fish appear on the spawning grounds in schools just before dark and remain there until shortly before midnight, making loud noises by splashing, jumping and chasing. After spawning, the fish return downriver but do not enter marshes as these are now too warm. Oymak et al. (2008) examined reproduction in the Atatürk Dam Lake on the Euphrates River in Turkey and found a sex ratio of 1:1.34 (females/males), with a spawning period in May to July, a fecundity up to 235,764 eggs and a mean egg diameter of 2.183 mm.

Its presence in areas of the Khuzestan plain is mainly for feeding while reproduction occurs in the northern parts of this province where there are sandy and gravel substrates, fast current, low temperatures and high oxygen content (Ghofleh Marammazi, 2004).

Parasites and predators

Bykhovski (1949) report a new species of monogenetic trematode, Dactylogyrus pavlovskyi, from this species in the Karkheh River, Iran. Molnár and Jalali (1992) describe a new species of monogenean, Dogielius persicus, from this species in the Dez and Karun rivers of Khuzestan. Masoumian et al. (1994) describe two new species of Myxosporea from the gills of this species in the Karun River, Khuzestan, namely Myxobolus karuni and Myxobolus persicus. Molnár et al. (1996) report additional new species from this fish in Khuzestan, namely Myxobolus iranicus in the spleen and Myxobolus mesopotamiae in connective tissue of the caudal and pectoral fins. The latter myxosporean is also reported from Barbus rajanorum as is a new species Myxobolus shadgani infecting the gills - the identity of the host fish is unknown as Barbus rajanorum is not a distinct species (see under Barbus pectoralis). Myxosporeans are potentially dangerous to fishes such as Barbus grypus which may be used in fish culture in Khuzestan.

The monogeneans Dactylogyrus povlovskyi, D. barbioides, Dogielius persicus, Gyrodactylus sprostonae and Paradiplozoon sp. are recorded from this species in the Karun River with heavier infestations in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. These gill parasites caused no serious injuries but were thought to be important in respect of monitoring infestation levels on fish farms in Khuzestan (www.avz1.8m.com/fulltext.htm, downloaded 28 October 2002).

Ebrahimzadeh and Nabawi (1975) list a nematode species Philometra and Ascaridae from this species in the Karun River. Ebrahimzadeh and Kailani (1976) record parasites in the genera Myxosoma (protozoan) and Isoglaridacris (cestode) and also a nematode from Barbus grypus taken in the Karun River.

Masoumian and Pazooki (1999) list Myxobolus persicus, M. karuni, M. mesopotamiae and M. iranicus from this species in various localities in Khuzestan. Moghainemi and Abbasi (1992) record a wide range of parasites from this species in the Hawr al-Azim in Khuzestan. Farahnak et al. (2002) record Contracaecum sp. and Anisakis sp. from this fish in Khuzestan Province.

Papahn et al. (2004) record the monogeneans Dactylogyrus pavlovskyi, D. barbioides, Dogielius persicus, Gyrodactylus sprostonae and Paradiplozoon sp. from this species in the Karun River at Ahvaz, the latter two being first records for the host in Iran.

Economic importance

An important food fish, comprising 23% of the total fish production in Iraq for example and forming the most important commercial fish there (Al-Hakim et al., 1981). Petr (1987) reports the catch for all Iraq in 1976 as 519 t. The weight at the Basrah fish market from October 1975 to June 1977 was only 3,330 kg however (Sharma, 1980) and Khalaf et al. (1984) rank it third in the inland wholesale trade of Iraq for the period 1967-1970.

This species is the preferred catch of anglers at Ahvaz in Khuzestan, with bread or potato as bait. There is a good demand for this species in local markets of Khuzestan (Ghofleh Marammazi, 2004).

Petr (1987) has suggested that this species be investigated for fish farming in Khuzestan. The Khuzestan Fisheries Research Centre at Ahvaz has experimented with this species in pond culture (Emadi, 1993a; Annual Report, 1994-1995, Iranian Fisheries Research and Training Organization, Tehran, p. 6, 1996).

Conservation

The stock of this species in the Gav Masiab River is severely reduced and only 3 fish were caught in western Iran in the Zagros rivers during a 4-year survey (J. Valiallahi, www.modares.ac.ir, downloaded 4 July 2000; pers. comm., 2001). Shirbot were considered to be on the verge of extinction in the Gav Masiab River of the Tigris River basin, through pollution, overfishing, dam building, aquaculture, and introduction of exotics (IranMania.com, 29 December 2006). Probably in decline in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).

Further work

The biology of this species in Iran needs investigation as does its putative relationship to South Asian fishes in the genus Tor.

Sources

Type material: See above, Barbus grypus (NMW 54161) and Labeobarbus kotschyi (NMW 49729).

Iranian material: CMNFI 1979-0155, 1, 42.8 mm standard length, Fars, spring at Gavanoo (28º47'N, 54º22'E); CMNFI 1979-0291, 1, 31.4 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage (34º24'N, 45º37'E); CMNFI 1979-0356, 5, 22.5-40.7 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karkheh River drainage at Hoveyzeh (31º27'N, 48º04'E); CMNFI 1979-0360, 1, 375.5 mm standard length, Khuzestan, canal branch of Karkheh River (31º40'N, 48º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0364, 1, 22.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, river at Abdolkhan (31º52'30"N, 48º20'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0384, 2, 202.2-222.2 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Ab-e Shur drainage (32º00'N, 49º07'E); CMNFI 1979-0391, 1, 220.5 mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Marun River drainage (31º28'N, 49º51'E); CMNFI 1979-0392, 1, 62.4 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zard River (ca. 31º32'N, ca. 49º48'E); CMNFI 1979-0395, 2, 32.7-38.0 mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Marun River drainage (ca. 30º57'N, ca. 49º51'E); CMNFI 1979-0402, 1, 80.7 mm standard length, Bushehr, Mand River 12 km north of Kaki (ca. 28º25'N, ca. 51º32'E); CMNFI 1991-0153, 1, 253.5 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zohreh River (no other locality data); CMNFI 1993-0141, 1, 80.2 mm standard length, Bushehr, Dalaki River (29º28'N, 51º15'E); CMNFI 1995-009A, 4, Khuzestan, A'la River at Pol-e Tighen (31º23'30"N, 49º53'E); BM(NH) 1980.8.28:7, 1, 72.0 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dezful (32º23'N, 48º24'E); ZMH 2508, 1, 343.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karun River at Ahvaz (31º19'N, 48º42'E); ZSM 21864, 1, 157.7 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dez River at Harmaleh (31º57'N, 48º34'E);

Comparative material:- BM(NH) 1874.4.28:24-26, 3, 231.2-254.7 mm standard length, Iraq, Tigris River at Baghdad (33º21'N, 44º25'E); BM(NH) 1920.3.3:1-18, 5, 104.8-196.0 mm standard length, ?; BM(NH) 1973.5.21:191, 1, 205.4 mm standard length, Iraq, Shatt-al-Arab; BM(NH) 1973.5.21:192, 1, 139.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Shatt-al-Arab; BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1283-1284; BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1299-1315, 9, 64.9-101.5 mm standard length, ?; BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1317, ?; BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1323, ?; BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1328(?3), 1, 161.9 mm standard length, Iraq, Basrah (30º30'N, 47º47'E); KU 10516, 1, 124.1 mm standard length, Iraq, Basrah (30º30'N, 47º47'E).

Barbus kersin
Heckel, 1843

Common names

برزم (= berzem).

[shissan, jassan, gassan, djissan, barsam or bunni, kersin at Aleppo, all in Arabic; kersin barbel].

Systematics

Karaman (1971) places this species as a synonym of his Barbus capito pectoralis. Almaça (1983) suggests that kersin may be only subspecifically distinct from Barbus pectoralis (q.v.) but later (Almaça, 1984b) retains it as a full species until further information becomes available. Krupp (1985c) also synonymises this species with Barbus pectoralis.

Syntypes of Barbus Kersin from "Aleppo", the type locality given by Heckel (1843b) or "Gewässern von Aleppo" (Heckel, 1846-1849a), are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 54212 and 54215) (Almaça, 1986). Krupp (1985c) lists the following syntypes of B. kersin all from Aleppo and collected by Th. Kotschy: 1 specimen, 141.2 mm standard length as measured by me (NMW 54212), 4, 89.1-135.1 mm standard length as measured by me (NMW 54213), 1, 166.0 mm standard length as measured by me (NMW 54215) and 1, 152 mm standard length (formerly NMW, now in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt as SMF 610). The card catalogue in 1997 listed NMW 54215 as "? lectotype" and NMW 54213 as "? paralectoptypes" (sic). Eschmeyer et al. (1996) list 1 syntype in the Museum für Naturkunde, Universität Humboldt, Berlin (ZMB 3237, formerly NMW). The catalogue in Vienna lists 6 specimens.

Key characters

This species differs from the similar B. pectoralis by the smaller scales and body depth being greater than head length (equal in pectoralis) (Berg, 1949). ?see BWC95-32 for a kersin after Valiallahi, its a dark Barbus without the very large D spine and a different colour pattern

Morphology

Dorsal fin unbranched rays 3-4, usually 4, branched rays 7-8, anal fin with 3 branched and 5-6, usually 5, unbranched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 17, pelvic fin rays 8. Lateral line scales 49-58. Gill rakers 19. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2. The last unbranched dorsal fin ray is strong (as in pectoralis)with a low density of coarse denticles extending over much of the ray. The mouth is moderate in size and subterminal. The highly rounded snout projects a little. Lips are thin to moderate but not fleshy and lack a median lobe. The upper lip is covered partly by the snout. Barbels are thin, the anterior barbel not extending back beyond the anterior eye margin and the posterior barbel not beyond the middle of the eye. Body depth is equal to or greater than head length in the types examined by me.

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Colour

The body lacks distinctive markings and is olive to reddish-brown above, silvery on the flanks and white below. The dorsal and caudal fins have a blackish margin.

Size

Attains 70.1 cm total length (Menon, 1956). Reaches 2 m and over 100 kg (Khalaf, 1961).

Distribution

Found in the Tigris-Euphrates, Quwayq and Orontes River basins. In Iran, it is found in the Tigris River basin in the Karun and Karkheh rivers, and the northern Gulf basin in the Zohreh and Helleh rivers and questionably the southern Gulf basin (Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

Almaça (1984b, 1991) considers that the origin of this species lies with a group that migrated southwards in the late Pliocene from the Dacian Lake of the Sarmatian Sea and speciated in Mesopotamia.

Habitat

The main habitat of Iraqi fish is rivers, entering marshes and lakes during floods but returning to rivers in June (van den Eelaart, 1954).

Age and growth

Unknown.

Food

This species is said to eat a wide range of food items (Beckman, 1962).

Reproduction

Eggs are deposited on clay or gravel bottoms during mid-February to early March (van den Eelaart, 1954).

Parasites and predators

Gussev et al. (1993a) describe new species of monogeneans from this species in the Dez River, Khuzestan, namely Dactylogyrus deziensis, D. deziensioides and D. kersini. Ebrahimzadeh and Kailani (1976) record parasite species in the cestode genera Caryophyllaeus and Isoglaridacris and the protozoan Myxosoma from Barbus kersin taken in the Karun River.

Economic importance

None.

Conservation

Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007) but status in Iran unknown.

Further work

The biology of this species in Iran needs study and a molecular comparison with putative synonyms would be of value in clarifying distinctiveness.

Sources

Type material: See above, NMW 54212, NMW 54213 and NMW 54215.

Iranian material: None.

Comparative material: BM(NH)1974.2.22:1324, 186.2 mm standard length (); BM(NH)1920.3.3:41-50, 12(5 examined), 110.9-165.3 mm standard length (); BM(NH)1920.3.3:31-40, 10, 141.7-310.9 mm standard length ();

Barbus kosswigi
(Ladiges, 1960)

Common names

ابوحنج (abu henej or abu hanaj= father of the hook or spine; possibly abu hanash or abu henesh, father of the snake), shebeh shirbot.

[Kosswig's barbel].

Systematics

This species was described as Cyclocheilichthys kosswigi Ladiges, 1960 from the "Batman suyu" (the holotype is possibly a female, 162.7 mm, Turkey, Siirt Province, Batman suyu (the Batman stream enters the Tigris River at 37°47.30"N, 41°00'E near Batman), April 1939, C. Kosswig). The holotype is in the Zoologischen Instituts und Zoologischen Museums der Universität Hamburg (ZMH H1148). The genus Cyclocheilichthys Bleeker, 1860 is found only in Southeast Asia.

A new and monotypic genus, Kosswigobarbus, was erected for this species by Karaman (1971) but this was synonymised with Barbus by Coad (1982f). However Bănărescu (1997) and Ekmekçi and Banarescu (1998) consider Kosswigobarbus to be valid. Borkenhagen (2005) considers that kosswigi and sublimus should be placed in Barbus (Carasobarbus) or Carasobarbus, favouring treating Carasobarbus as a subgenus until Barbus is revised thoroughly. Karaman (1971) distinguished the genus on the basis of the fin ray characters, a well-developed rostral flap, numerous fine pores on the head, and a large lachrymal bone. These characters are found in other Barbus species in Southwest Asia and the whole complex of large-scaled Barbus requires a detailed revision (see also under Barbus luteus and B. sublimus).

The relationships of this species appear to lie with other Southwest Asian species in the catchall genus Barbus which possess a compressed body, large scales with counts of 38 or less in the lateral line, a smooth dorsal fin spine, 9 or more branched dorsal fin rays and 6 anal fin branched rays such as Barbus apoensis Banister and Clarke, 1977, B. exulatus Banister and Clarke, 1977 (both in Southwest Arabia), B. chantrei (Sauvage, 1882) and B. canis Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1842 (both from the Levant), B. luteus (Heckel, 1843) from the Tigris-Euphrates and neighbouring basins, and B. sublimus Coad and Najafpour, 1997 from Khuzestan in the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Iran. A systematic revision of these species and potential African, European and Asian relatives may demonstrate that generic distinctions are warranted. Kosswigobarbus would then encompass B. kosswigi and presumably B. sublimus. Borkenhagen (2005) regards these species as a monophyletic group characterised by 6 branched anal fin rays, smooth and ossified last unbranched dorsal fin ray, modally 10 branched dorsal fin rays, less than 40 scales in the lateral line, medium body size, large, round to shield-shaped scales with numerous parallel radii, pharyngeal teeth usually 2,3,5-5,3,2, gill rakers short, stout and slightly curved, and barbels short.

Key characters

This species is characterised by having two pairs of thin barbels, 6 branched anal fin rays, the last unbranched dorsal fin ray strong and sharp-edged but smooth, 9-11 branched dorsal fin rays, large scales (38 or less in the lateral line), and a deep and compressed body.

Morphology

The rostral flap shows variable development, sometimes overlapping the upper lip to become visible in ventral view and other times not so well developed. Lips are thick, continuous and fleshy and there is a large median lobe to the lower lip. The mouth is small, ventral and u-shaped. The dorsal fin origin lies over or slightly in advance of the pelvic fin origin. The dorsal fin margin is strongly concave and the last unbranched dorsal fin ray is a strong spine without teeth. The caudal fin is deeply forked. The anal fin is long and may overlap the caudal fin base.

Scales are regularly arranged over the body. A low sheath of scales is found at the base of the anal and dorsal fins, being most evident anteriorly, and enclosing the anal papilla. There is a pelvic axillary scale. Anterior scale radii are few (5-11 in five scales from one specimen 126.6 mm SL) while posterior radii are numerous (35-40). There is a scaled keel or ridge before the dorsal fin as the back narrows dorsally. Pharyngeal tooth formulae 2,3,5-5,3,2, 2,3,5-4,3,2, 2,3,4-5,3,2 and 2,3,4-4,3,2. The teeth are quite small even in the largest specimens. Teeth are hooked at the tip and strongly recurved there, teeth are conical and have a small, concave to irregular or even rounded grinding surface below the tip. The fifth and most anterior tooth in the main row is small to minute in most fish and may be absent but this is not size related as both large and small specimens have or lack this tooth. The gut is elongate and coiled.

Meristic data from Iranian and other Tigris-Euphrates specimens: dorsal fin branched rays 9(5), 10(34), 11(1), mean 9.9 after 4 unbranched rays; anal fin branched rays 6(40) (not 7 as in the original description) after 3 unbranched rays; pectoral fin branched rays 15(2), 16(6), 17(4), 16.1; and pelvic fin branched rays 7(1), 8(11). Lateral line scales 29(1), 31(2), 32(1), 33(2), 34(6), 35(3), 36(1), 37(1), 38(1), 41(1) mean 34.2 (Kuru's (1975) range is 32-36); scales above the lateral line 6(7), 7(10), 8(1), mean 6.7; scales below the lateral line 5(5), 6(13), mean 5.7; scales between lateral line and pelvic fin 4(11), 5(1), mean 4.1; predorsal scale rows 11(1), 12(2), 13(5), 14(3), 15(1), mean 13.1; and caudal peduncle scales 13(2), 14(2), 15(6), 16(2), mean 14.7. Total gill rakers 10(2), 11(2), 12(3), 13(3), 14(1), mean 11.9. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(4), 2,3,4-4,3,2(3) or 2,3,4-5,3,2(1). Total vertebrae 39(5), 40(4), mean 39.4.

Caudal peduncle length in head length 1.2-1.3, mean 1.3; caudal peduncle depth in caudal peduncle length 1.5-1.7, mean 1.6; pelvic fin length in standard length 4.6-5.4, mean 5.0; pelvic fin length in pelvic fin origin to anal fin origin distance 1.2-1.6, mean 1.3; dorsal fin spine length in head length 0.8-0.9, mean 0.9; and longest dorsal fin ray in head length 0.9-1.0, mean 0.9.

Sexual dimorphism

Sample sizes are too small to investigate accurately.

Colour

Upper flank scales are outlined by pigment, most evidently anteriorly on each scale. Fins are lightly pigmented with scattered melanophores on both rays and membranes with some concentration on dorsal fin membranes although the extent varies individually. The peritoneum is black.

Size

Reaches 19.4 cm total length (the holotype).

Distribution

Found in the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Turkey and Iran (Coad, 1982f; Coad and Najafpoiur, 1997; Abdoli, 2000). It may also occur in the Zohreh River (Gh. Izadi, pers. comm., 2001).

Zoogeography

Karaman (1971) considers that the closest relatives of this species are to be found in the Indo-Malayan region.

Habitat

This species is found in large rivers in Iran which, however, in mid-summer are more stream-like in water flow. Collections are from the plains of Khuzestan and from altitudes in excess of 1600 m in the Zagros Mountains. Temperatures in early July range from 21 to 23°C. One locality was polluted and others were cloudy or muddy. The river beds are composed of stones.

Age and growth

Unknown.

Food

The elongate gut and black peritoneum suggest a plant component to the diet but examination of two gut contents reveal insect remains including chironomid larvae.

Reproduction

Unknown.

Parasites and predators

Sohrabi and Jalali (2002) report the nematode Schulmanella petruchewskii from the liver of this species caught in the Dez River.

Economic importance

This species is too rare in Iran to be of any economic importance.

Conservation

Recommendations are difficult to make since the ecological requirements of this species are unknown. It appears to be rare but this may only be inadequate sampling techniques. Further collections in addition to the holotype have been made in southern Anatolian Turkey (Kuru, 1978-1979) but it does not seem to be common. Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).

Further work

Intensive field work utilising a wide variety of techniques should be directed to determining the abundance and distribution of this species. An adequate material base would then enable ecological studies to be carried out and conservation measures determined.

Sources

Some counts from Kuru (1975) on Turkish material.

Type material: See above, Cyclocheilichthys kosswigi (ZMH H1148).

Iranian material: CMNFI 1979-0275, 1, 126.6 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º25'N, 47º58'E); CMNFI 1979-0277, 1, 116.5 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º30'N, 47º59'E); CMNFI 1979-0289, 1, 103.5 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage (34º28'N, 45º52'E); CMNFI 1979-0290, 2, 120.1-122.1 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage (34º31'N, 45º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0368, ?, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karkheh River (32º24'30"N, 48º09'E); uncatalogued, 1, 173.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karkheh River near Shush (no other locality data); uncatalogued, 3, 140.1-179.0 mm standard length, Khuzestan (no other locality data); uncatalogued, 1, 160.0 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karun River basin near Izeh (no other locality data).

Comparative material: BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1281, 1, 31.2 mm standard length, Iraq, Al Hadithah (34º07'N, 42º23'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1292-1296, 4, 35.5-98.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Al Hadithah (34º07'N, 42º23'E).

Barbus lacerta
Heckel, 1843

Above photographs courtesy of Atabak Mahjoor Azad

Common names

blizem, bellizem, سس ماهي (= sos or sas mahi), زرده پر (= zardehpar), orenge, sos mahi Kura.

[Kur sirbiti in Azerbaijan; murtsa, murza, muruza, muruz in Transcaucasia generally; mursa in Armenia; shabout moraqqat in Arabic in Iraq; karrid or karad achmar (red frill or shag, probably from the colour and the long barbels) and karrid asrak (= blue shaggy one) according to Heckel (1843b) in Arabic in Aleppo; Kurinskii usach or Kura barbel in Russian].

Systematics

Howes (1987) places this species in Barbus sensu stricto. Karaman (1971) assigns many taxa as subspecies of Barbus plebejus Bonaparte, 1832 (dated correctly 1839 in Eschmeyer et al. (1996), see Bianco (1995a) for details), found throughout Europe and Southwest Asia. Bianco (1995a) considers that Barbus plebejus is restricted to Adriatic drainages of Italy and Croatia. Valiallahi (2006) considers B. plebejus to be present in Iran and distinct from B. lacerta based mainly on body shape, the relative head length, the body depth and the fourth dorsal fin ray. Barbus plebejus kosswigi Karaman, 1971 is described as new from the "Oberer Teil des Tigris-Systems" and "Hamam suyu, Beytusebab-Hakkari" (upper Tigris River basin in Turkey). Almaça (1991) considers it an ecophenotype of his Barbus plebejus scincus since two subspecies of the same species cannot live in the same river basin. Barbus plebejus kosswigi is a secondary homonym of Cyclocheilichthys (= Barbus) kosswigi according to Kottelat (1997).

Barbus plebejus ciscaucasicus Kessler, 1877 is from the western drainages of the Caspian Sea south to Dagestan but only Barbus plebejus lacerta Heckel, 1843 is found in Iran. It is recognised here as a full species since its relationships to European and other taxa cannot be determined on material available for this study. Bianco and Banarescu (1982) place specimens from the Aras River near Maku, which are probably this species, in Barbus cyclolepis cyri De Filippi, 1865.

Almaça (1981; 1983; 1984a; 1984b, 1986) gives lacerta specific status, distinguishing it from Barbus plebejus by the strong denticulations on the last dorsal fin unbranched ray, lower denticle density, number of scales in transverse rows, shorter head and pectoral fin, longer snout, lower body, the decrease in height of the branched dorsal fin rays is gradual and the profile of the fin is straight, unusual in Barbus with a strongly denticulated dorsal spine. Almaça recognises two subspecies from Iranian drainages:- lacerta from the Tigris-Euphrates basin (and Aleppo) and cyri from the southern Caspian Sea basin. Berg (1948-1949) also refers Caspian Sea basin specimens to Barbus lacerta cyri but in Berg (1949) has cyri from the Tigris River basin too. Saadati (1977) suggests that Lake Orumiyeh basin Barbus lacerta are a distinct subspecies based on higher scale counts there (72-89) than in the Caspian Sea basin. However, B. lacerta as recognised has a wide range in scale counts (see below) and counting methods can differ to include or not supernumerary scales in the lateral line and small scales at the caudal fin base. Fishes resembling B. lacerta from the Namak Lake basin have higher scale counts than Caspian Sea specimens although sample size is too small for a definitive study. Berg (1948-1949) notes that his B. lacerta cyri is subject to extremely wide variations in such characters as body depth, fin and barbel lengths, dorsal spine denticle numbers (even absent in some very large fish) and lateral line scale counts, among others. A large series of specimens would be needed to resolve these problems, allowing for size and sexual variation, new character discoveries and consistent methodologies. Molecular studies might be helpful.

Barbus Lacerta was described from the "Flüssen Kueik bei Aleppo" (Heckel, 1843b).

The following species are synonyms. Barbus Scincus Heckel, 1843 described from "Aleppo" and later from the "Flusse Kueik bei Aleppo" in Heckel (1846-1849a), Barbus cyri De Filippi, 1865 described from the "Kur presso Tiflis" (= Kura River near Tbilisi, Georgia) (including Barbus cyri var. tiflissica Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "Kura bei Tiflis" and Barbus cyri var. chaldanica Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "Andshigan-tschai unweit Chaldan"), Barbus caucasicus Kessler, 1877 from the Kura and Araks rivers and tributaries, Azerbaijan, Barbus toporovanicus Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "Toporavan See" (= Lake Paravani or Taparavani at 41°26'N, 43°48'E, in the upper Kura River basin of Georgia), bortschalinicus Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "schwarze Flüsschen (Das schwarze Flüsschen fällt in die Bortschala, rechter Zufluss des Chram, Nebenfluss der Kura)(tschernaja rjetschka)", Georgia, Barbus sursunicus Kamenskii, 1899 described from "Sursuna in dem Flüsscheu (sic) Kara-tschai, Nebenfluss der Kura, oder ihrem Zuflusse, erbeutet in einer Höhe von ca 3200', zwischen den Seen Tschaldyr-göll und Tuman-göll, dass kleinere aus dem Flüsschen Abastuman-tschai" (Azerbaijan; later in the same article this species is spelt zurzunicus), Barbus armenicus Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "See Tschaldyr-göll, 6522' und den Kars-tschai" (Sildir Gölü and the Kars-chai, Turkey), and Barbus angustatus Kamenskii, 1899 described from the "Kura, bei Borshom". Barbus toporovanicus first appeared in Kamenskii (1887) as a variety of Capoeta fundulus (see Capoeta capoeta). Type localities from Kamenskii (1899) are, obviously, taken from the German text; there is also an accompanying and preceding Russian text with localities in Latin and Russian which are very similar, although in some cases abbreviated.

Heckel (1843), the original describer, recognised Barbus scincus as close to his Barbus lacerta but with a shorter head, sharply decurved forehead, small mouth, and small eyes, all characters not easily quantified without detailed analysis. Berg (1949) placed it in the synonymy of lacerta. Berg's view is followed here; others are described by Almaça (1983; 1984a, 1986) who favours placing scincus as a subspecies of Barbus plebejus as noted above.

The problem with the conclusions above remains, as pointed out earlier, the lack of new material.

Four syntypes of Barbus lacerta are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 54227), 1 syntype is in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 3471, formerly NMW), and 1 syntype is in the Museum für Naturkunde, Universität Humboldt, Berlin (ZMB 3236, formerly NMW, 110.3 mm standard length, examined February 2006; F. Krupp, pers. comm., 1985; Eschmeyer et al., 1996; Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). The Vienna card catalogue in 1997 lists one of NMW 54227 as the lectotype. The Vienna catalogue lists 6 specimens. Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) designates 54227-1, 181.6 mm standard length, as the lectotype.

Syntypes of Barbus scincus from "Aleppo", the type locality in Heckel (1843b), are reported in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien by Almaça (1986) and were also examined by me (NMW 22272, 2 specimens, 97.6-146.7 mm standard length, in poor condition and NMW 54526, 1 specimen, 158.8 mm standard length, designated as a lectotype by F. Krupp, 31 October 1984). Eschmeyer et al. (1996) also list NMW 54525 as a syntype and this fish measured 124.2 mm standard length and had been dried at some point before it was examined by me. The Vienna catalogue lists 4 specimens and the card catalogue in 1997 lists these 4 fish with NMW 54526 as "? lectotype" (sic).

Tortonese (1940) and Eschmeyer et al. (1996) list the holotype of Barbus cyri as in the Istituto e Museo di Zoologia della R. Università di Torino (MZUT N.690).

The lectotype of Barbus armenicus, as established by Berg (1948-1949:Fig. 451), is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg under ZISP 5198 with 3 paralectotypes (Eschmeyer et al., 1996).

The lectotype of Barbus sursunicus is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg under ZISP 14740 as established in Berg (1948-1949:fig. 451).

Abdurakhmanov (1962) compares fish from the Aras and Kura river basins and the Lenkoranchai. Lenkoran fish have fewer scales, longer head length and depth, greater maximum body depth, greater anal fin height, longer pelvic and ventral fins, a longer lower caudal fin lobe, a shorter caudal peduncle length, a smaller eye, and a shorter interorbital width than Kura and Aras fish; Lenkoran fish have a longer predorsal distance, greater caudal peduncle depth, and greater dorsal fin height than Kura fish though Aras fish are the same; Lenkoran fish have the dorsal fin base and postorbital distance less than in Aras, but not Kura, fish. No taxonomic distinction is made for these variations.

Key characters

The spotting on the body is characteristic.

Morphology

The mouth is moderate in size, with moderate to thick tuberculate lips. The median lobe of the lower lip is not developed, being small to absent; however the lip does have a central area which is thicker and distinct from the lips laterally in small fish. Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) gives illustrations of lower lip development and variations in head shape. Males were thought to have a straight head profile while in females the profile falls steeply in front of the nostrils but Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya (2003) found some males with a hump on the snout. Morphology is quite variable. Barbels are thick, the anterior one not extending past the nostril level and the posterior one reaching or exceeding the preopercle level.

Dorsal fin with 3-5, usually 4-5, unbranched rays followed by 7-9, usually 8, branched rays, anal fin with 3 unbranched rays followed by 4-6, usually 5, branched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 13-19 and pelvic fin branched rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 49-87. Scales are a horizontal oval to rectangular in shape with the anterior margin bearing a central protuberance, and sometimes a wavy form. Radii are numerous on all scale fields around a subcentral anterior focus with few to moderate numbers of circuli (as scales are small). Scales may be irregularly arranged on the flank because of their small size giving different counts depending on whether smaller scales are included in the lateral line count. There is a pelvic axillary scale. Gill rakers 5-13, short and just reaching the one adjacent when appressed. Rakers may not develop on the anterior arch giving a wide range in counts. Vertebrae 39-45. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2 with variants 2,3,5-5,3,1, 1,3,5-5,3,2, 1,3,5-5,3,1, 2,3,4-5,3,2, 2,3,5-4,4,2, 2,4,5-4,4,4 and even 1,2,3,5-5,3,2,1. The fourth inner row tooth is usually the largest, slightly larger, or slightly smaller in some, than the third. The fifth inner row tooth is blunt and other teeth are hooked or pointed. Teeth may be slightly serrated and there is a short concave surface below the hook. The last unbranched ray of the dorsal fin is moderately to strongly developed, varying between individuals and populations, with denticle density high (up to 65) along three-fifths to two-thirds of its length. Denticle extent appears to be quite variable. Denticles are proportionately larger in small fish. The tip of the last unbranched ray is thin and flexible. Denticles may be absent in large fish. The gut is elongate with about 2 anterior and 1 posterior loops.

Meristics in Iranian fish: dorsal fin branched rays 8(36); anal fin branched rays 5(36); pectoral fin branched rays 14(5), 15(7), 16(16) or 17(8); pelvic fin branched rays 7(8) or 8(28); lateral line scales 53(1), 55(1), 56(3), 59(3), 60(3), 63(3), 64(3), 65(2), 66(1), 67(1), 69(3), 70(1), 72(1), 74(2), 76(2), 79(1), 82(3), 85(1) or 87(1); total gill rakers 6(1), 7(9), 8(10), 9(7), 10(6), 11(1) or 13(1); pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(18), 1,3,5-5,3,1(1), 2,3,4-5,3,2(1) or 2,3,4-4,3,2(1); and total vertebrae ?.

Sexual dimorphism

Females have shorter barbels than males (Berg, 1948-1949) and females have longer anal and ventral fins (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Tubercle development in males caught on 25-26 June consists of minute tubercles thickly developed on the head top, sides and ventrally, lining the margin of anterior belly scales but also 1-2 tubercles in mid-scale, on anterior flank scales numbering 1-4 becoming 1 tubercle on more posterior scales although most mid-flank scales lack tubercles. Lower flank and lower caudal peduncle scales bear a tubercle. Back scales have a unique tuberculation consisting of a line rather than a rounded tubercle. The line lies centrally on the scale and extends from the margin part way along the exposed scale. Behind the dorsal fin the back scales have the central line and one on each side radiating back and up and back and down. Tubercles on the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are small and follow the fin branching. they are weak to absent on the pectoral and pelvic fins but are found on the first unbranched pectoral ray in two rows. Males are a dark gold dorsally and all fins slightly reddish with a gold iridescence when spawning (Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). Spawning females have reddish ventral and anal fins.

Colour

The overall colour is yellowish to olive-grey (possibly bluish according to Heckel (1846-1849a)) with numerous, regular dark-brown to black spots on the back, upper flank and dorsal and caudal fins or irregular mottling. The spots may form a stripe in young fish. In general appearance, fish may be quite light or almost blackish as pigmentation level varies individually. The back is olive-brown to light or reddish-brown and the flanks silvery to yellowish. The belly and lower head surface are white. The iris is dark to silvery with a narrow silver-golden ring. Barbels are white. The dorsal fin bears dark spots and extended lines of dark pigment on the rays and membranes. These are not clearly arranged as bars. The margin of the caudal fin is dark in some fish and there may be a band on mid-fin. The caudal fin is often speckled with dark spots which do not form clear bars. The pectoral fin has dark spots and there are odd dark spots on the pelvic and anal fins. The peritoneum is a light brown with dense but spaced melanophores.

Size

Reaches 37.5 cm and 460 g, possibly to 550 g.

Distribution

This species is found in the Tigris-Euphrates, Quwaiq and Caspian Sea basins as well as some internal basins of Iran. In Iran, it is recorded from the Caspian Sea basin in the Aras River and its tributary the Qareh Su, from the Astara to the Atrak rivers including the Anzali Mordab, the upper Safid River drainage in the Qezel Owzan and Shahrud, in the Lake Orumiyeh basin in the middle to upper Talkheh River, Nazlu Chai, Tatavi and Zarrineh rivers, the Tigris River basin, and the Esfahan basin (Dopolan River)(Günther, 1899; Laptev, 1934; Berg, 1949; Holčík and Oláh, 1992; Shamsi et al., 1997; Abbasi et al., 1999; Kiabi et al., 1999; Ghorbani Chafi, 2000; Abdoli, 2000).

Zoogeography

Almaça (1991) considers that this species arose from the first wave of colonisers to enter West Asia from South Europe but is more recent in origin than such Barbus species as esocinus and xanthopterus originating from southwestern Siberia.

Habitat

This species is found in fresh waters and is not migratory. It avoids muddy bottoms and prefers sandy or stony substrates (Solak, 1977; Bogutskaya in Bănărescu and Bogutskaya, 2003). These habitats are rich in benthos, cool, with rapid currents an