Species Accounts - Cyprinidae - Cyprinion
Genus Cyprinion
Heckel, 1843
Scaphiodon Heckel, 1843 has been used for Cyprinion and Capoeta species in Southwest Asia.
Taki (1975) related members of this genus to a common ancestor with Onychostoma Günther, 1896, a Chinese and southeast Asian genus although Li et al. (2008) found this lineage to be unsupported on DNA evidence. Howes (1982) synonymises Semiplotus Bleeker, 1859, a genus found from Nepal to Viet Nam, and Scaphiodonichthys Vinciguerra, 1890, a genus from Indochina, with Cyprinion and refuted Taki's (1975) view using osteological characters, particularly of the jaws. Howes (1982) considers that Cyprinion cannot be defined on any uniquely derived characters. Krupp (1983) considers Howes' revision as unsatisfactory for the reasons that type specimens were not examined, relationships are based on jaw anatomy and other characters are largely excluded, variability of osteological characters within a species are largely unknown, and synapomorphies are not unequivocal. Bănărescu (1992b) and Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) regard Semiplotus as a distinct genus but probably related to Cyprinion. They comment that Semiplotus differs sharply from Cyprinion s.s. in the absence of barbels, a higher number of branched dorsal fin rays (20 or more), and in a lower number of branched anal fin rays (5 as in most related genera rather than the unusual 7 in Cyprinion). Scaphiodonichthys has 2 pairs of barbels (only 1 in Cyprinion), and 5 branched anal fin rays as well as differing from both Cyprinion and Semiplotus by having the lateral line closer to the ventral margin of the caudal peduncle and divergent rather than parallel striae on the scales. These latter 2 characters justify generic separation of Scaphiodonichthys. Bănărescu (1997) considers Scaphiodonichthys as valid and not a synonym of Cyprinion. Characters used by others to define Cyprinion such as expansion of the proximal part of the pelvic fin rays, interpelvic papillate flaps (Banister and Clarke, 1977) and a naked predorsal ridge (Mirza, 1969) do not occur in all species in this genus. If Semiplotus is included in Cyprinion then several osteological structures, particularly a synarthritic dentary joint, are uniquely derived or synapomorphic.
In the absence of a detailed revision, I have retained species within Cyprinion as the most familiar name in use in Southwest Asia for these fishes. Cyprinion s.s. is found from the Indus River basin west to the Arabian Peninsula and the Tigris-Euphrates basin but excluding northern drainages such as the Lake Orumiyeh, Caspian Sea and Hari River basins and excluding the westernmost edge of Southwest Asia such as the Jordan River basin and coastal drainages of Israel.
The genus Cyprinion is currently under revision by Florian Wicker at the Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt and the status of the following species may undergo some changes.
Saadati (1977:45) refers to a new and undescribed Cyprinion species from Lar in southern Iran but the fish are Barbus luteus.
A thorough study of the systematics of this genus in Iran depends to some degree on material from other areas which is not readily available, on large series of well-preserved adult specimens, and analyses which demonstrate consistency in characters used to define species. These conditions have not been achieved thus far in any studies undertaken and given the wide distribution and individual variation shown by Cyprinion species an adequate understanding of the species composition is not entirely possible.
This genus is characterised by a moderate sized, compressed body, a thick and blunt snout, an inferior mouth with a straight, crescentic or arched shape and a sharp horny edge to the lower jaw (which may fall off in preserved specimens), 1 pair of small barbels at the mouth corner, the last dorsal fin unbranched ray is thickened and bears weak to strong serrations (highly variable between individuals within a species and not a good character in species definitions), the dorsal fin is long (up to 16 branched rays) and the anal fin short (typically 7 branched rays), a ridge in front of the dorsal fin is formed internally from fused pterygiophores and lacks scales externally, pharyngeal teeth are in 3 rows and are compressed and spoon-shaped, scales large to moderate in size (lateral line counts (31-45), breast and belly scales may be absent (individually variable and not a good character), scale radii are restricted to the posterior field, peritoneum black, and gut very long and coiled (several times body length).
Cyprinion kais
Heckel, 1843
Common names
butak-e dehan kuchek, بوتك (= botak), butak dahan kuchek, butok, لوتك (= lotak), zanbour, زنبور دهان كوچك (= zanbour dahan kuchek).
[bunni saghir, bnaini; kais at Aleppo (= Haleb, Syria), hence the scientific name, all in Arabic; kais kingfish].
Systematics
Cyprinion Cypris Heckel, 1843 is a synonym, being a juvenile with keratinization of the lower jaw incomplete according to Howes (1982), although he did not examine the types. Krupp (1985c) and Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) agree with this synonymy. Berg (1949) placed C. kais (and C. cypris) in C. macrostomum, as the position of the dorsal fin in relation to the pelvic fins was variable in these fishes and not sufficient to warrant species status as Heckel (1843) stated in describing these species.
The type localities for Cyprinion Kais are "Aleppo" and "Mossul" and for Cyprinion Cypris the "Tigris bei Mossul" (Heckel, 1843b).
The syntypes of C. kais are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien comprising 3 fish in NMW 52801 (paralectotypes) and measuring 68.5-97.3 mm standard length, 2 fish in NMW 52802 measuring 120.6-164.3 mm standard length, and 2 fish in NMW 52803 (paralectotypes) measuring 153.4-154.2 mm standard length, the smaller of these being designated as the lectotype by F. Krupp in 1984. Eschmeyer et al. (1996) list possible syntypes in the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden under RMNH 2485 (2 fish, formerly NMW) and RMNH 2489 (1), and 1 syntype in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 134, formerly NMW). The catalogue in Vienna lists 5 specimens.
A syntype of C. cypris is in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 849, formerly NMW) (F. Krupp, pers. comm., 1985). Two syntypes, 63.5-106.2 mm standard length are under SMF 849, the larger one designated as a paralectotype (March 2007). Ten syntypes are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 52804) measuring 51.2-115.1 mm standard length, the largest being designated as the lectotype (however Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) give 44.1-110.0 mm standard length for these 10 fish with one at 99.8 mm standard length as lectotype as selected by F. Krupp in 1984). Another specimen, 110.5 mm standard length, may also be a syntype (NMW 52800); and also NMW 59508, a dried specimen (Eschmeyer et al., 1996). The catalogue in Vienna lists 6 fish in alcohol and 1 fish stuffed.
Key characters
Mouth shape is distinctive. It is small and semicircular with a width about the size of the eye diameter and has large lateral lobes (= lower lips)(Kafuku, 1969). The cartilaginous sheath is thickened between the corners of the mouth and is rounded posteriorly with a distinct margin. The cartilage can form a tooth-like structure protruding anteriorly from the lower lip. The mouth in C. macrostomum is wider, arched and lacks the lateral lobes (see also illustrations in Kafuku (1969), Krupp (1985c) and Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995)). These latter authors have the width of the mouth opening as only 13.5-22.0% of the head length (22.0-27.0% in C. macrostomum) for adult fish and the height of the arch or mouth opening (a line perpendicular from a line between the mouth corners to the tip of the lower jaw) 48-80% of the mouth width (29-47% in C. macrostomum), i.e. the mouth is narrower and more arched in C. kais. On this character, therefore, the two species can be distinguished as adults but there is potential for confusion in young fish. A single specimen identified as C. kais on the basis of mouth shape from the Dalaki River of Iran had values of 23.2% and 47.4% which are arguably C. macrostomum values. This specimen has a protruding tooth-like edge to the lower jaw in a u-shaped mouth with well-developed lips posterior to the "tooth".
The intestine is shorter and less complexly coiled in this species and the mean number of gill rakers is less in contrast to C. macrostomum (Kafuku, 1969). The back is higher and more curved, the eyes are larger and the anal fin is more posterior, in addition to the mouth shape (Heckel, 1843b). The dorsal fin origin arises over that of the pelvic fins (Heckel, 1846-1849a). The edge of the dorsal fin is more notched in C. kais than in C. macrostomum (the length of the fourth branched ray is 48-62% of the length of the first ray as opposed to 55-79% in C. macrostomum, with extreme values overlapping, according to Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995)).
The form of the pharyngeal teeth is different from C. macrostomum (see Krupp (1985c) for illustrations where kais has hooked tips and macrostomum does not), there are fewer gill rakers (8-12 on the lower arch in kais, 12-16 in macrostomum), on average there are fewer dorsal fin rays, the last unbranched dorsal fin ray is longer, and interorbital width is smaller. However sample sizes in some studies are small (in Kafuku (1969) only 5 fish of each species were examined), morphometric characters are notoriously size-dependent, gill raker counts are also size dependent, and even pharyngeal tooth form varies with age (small macrostomum have hooked tips). C. kais may well be a good species but a wide-ranging comparison of adults and young and of localities is needed and material from Iran is scarce or equivocal. Further discussion is under C. macrostomum.
Morphology
Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 12-16 branched rays (13(8), 14(1) in material listed below), anal fin with 3 unbranched and 7 branched rays (7(9)). The dorsal fin has the last unbranched developed as a spine with strong teeth except at the tip which is thin and flexible. Pectoral fin with 14-18 branched rays (15(1), 16(3) and 17(5)) and pelvic fin with 8 branched rays (8(9)). Lateral line with 36-43 scales (38(4) or 39(5)). The belly is scaled. There is a well-developed pelvic axillary scale. Scales have a subcentral anterior focus, fine circuli, few posterior radii and no or very few anterior radii. Total gill rakers 10-15 (10(1), 11(4) or 12(4)), short and reaching the raker below when appressed. Rakers are absent on the anterior arch where there are only tubercles. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,4-4,3,2, with variants 2,3,5-5,3,2 and 2,3,5-4,3,2, spoon-shaped with a small hook at the tip.
Sexual dimorphism
Tuberculation in a 103.5 mm standard length specimen consisted of ca. 20 tubercles restricted to the area over the lachrymal bone. A specimen 147.5 mm standard length had small to minute tubercles in front of the eye, under the eye, on the mid-preoperculum and on the mid-operculum. Curiously the individual small tubercles on the operculum were connected by thin lines of horny tissue.
Colour
Overall colour is silvery to yellowish-white with the back grey-brown and the lower surfaces a lemon yellow. The lower jaw margin is a glossy yellow. The fish shown above may represent a spawning colouration, not seen in all specimens. The pelvic fins are a bright orange-red, the pectorals paler. Some fish have a less strong colour in the pelvic than in the anal fin. The anal fin is yellow, to orange or greenish, distally black and anteriorly most orange. The caudal fin has light orange to greenish tints. The dorsal fin is black with a yellow-tinged base becoming anteriorly reddish. In preserved fish, there is some concentration of pigment above and below each lateral line pore, scales on the back and upper flank are outlined with pigment, and there is some concentration of pigment into a few to moderate number of diffuse spots on the uppermost flank and back midline. The leading edge of the dorsal fin is very dark (but may be light), dorsal fin membranes are dark, anal fin membranes also dark but to a lesser extent, and the caudal, pectoral and pelvic fins have pigment lining the rays. Peritoneum black.
Size
Attains 21.5 cm total length.
Distribution
This species is found in the Tigris-Euphrates and Quwaiq basins. Abdoli (2000) maps the Jarrahi, Karun, middle to lower Dez, and Karkheh up to the Simarreh rivers of the Tigris River basin. It is also found in the Gulf basin, although rare, and specimens from the sugar cane fields of Khuzestan were seen in 2000 (personal observations, B. W. Coad).
Zoogeography
Zoogeographical comments are under the genus above.
Habitat
This species is recorded from a variety of habitats as listed above and is also known to inhabit canals but nothing is known of its environmental requirements.
Age and growth
Unknown.
Food
Gut contents are filamentous algae in the one specimen examined. Diet may be similar to Cyprinion macrostomus. Curiously, the mouth structure resembles that of the unrelated cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxillingua (Le Sueur, 1817), from North America. This species feeds on insect larvae, with some molluscs and worms. Food is scraped from the bottom or poked out of crevices using the shovel-like lower jaw. Sand is also taken in and spat out, presumably after food items are extracted. The cutlips also picks out the eyes of other fishes in confined areas (Coad et al., 1995).
Reproduction
Unknown.
Parasites and predators
None reported from Iran.
Economic importance
None.
Conservation
This minnow appears to be rare, or at least is rarely collected, in Iran. Cyprinion macrostomum is much more common and is taken in most seine hauls in streams and rivers. The distribution and population numbers are unknown. Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).
Further work
The biology of this species needs to be investigated and the use of the peculiar jaw structure ascertained. Its great rarity, at least in Iran, leads to the suspicion that it may be a developmental anomaly of Cyprinion macrostomum - the few specimens at hand don't permit a detailed study of characters other than the strikingly different jaw (see comments under C. macrostomum and also above). Development of pharyngeal teeth, gill raker numbers, complexity of gut coils and morphometric characters are all size dependent and show individual and populational variations not analysable here.
Sources
Type material: See above, Cyprinion kais (NMW 52801, 52802 and 52803) and C. cypris (NMW 52804).
Iranian material: CMNFI 1993-0141, 1, 66.3 mm standard length, Bushehr, Dalaki River (29º28'N, 51º15'E); ZSM 25715, 2, 34.1-65.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dez River at Harmaleh (31º57'N, 48º34'E). ?BWC 2000-10 (? no material)
Comparative material: BM(NH) 1920.3.3:50, 1, 83.6 mm standard length, Iraq, Basrah (30º30'N, 47º47'E); BM(NH) 1920.3.3:94-115, 40, 65.3-92.4 mm standard length, Iraq, Basrah (30º30'N, 47º47'E); BM(NH) 1931.12.21:3, 1, 129.8 mm standard length, Iraq, Mosul (36º20'N, 43º08'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:115-120, 5, 90.6-147.9 mm standard length, Iraq, Mosul (36º20'N, 43º08'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1105, 1, 115.6 mm standard length, Iraq, Mosul (36º20'N, 43º08'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1106, 1, 101.4 mm standard length, Iraq, Fao (29º58'N, 48º29'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1214-1255 (in part), Iraq, Khalis (33º49'N, 44º32'E); BM(NH) 1984.4.18:30, 63.4 mm standard length, Iraq, Kut Hiwa (no other locality data); FMNH 51229, 1, 103.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Diyala River, 12 miles east of Baghdad (no other locality data); FMNH 51230, 6, 42.9-60.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Diyala River, 12 miles east of Baghdad (no other locality data); FMNH 51231, 2, 64.0-64.8 mm standard length, Iraq, Diyala River, 12 miles east of Baghdad (no other locality data); uncatalogued, 5, 49.1-66.7 mm standard length, Iraq, Shatt al Arab (no other locality data); uncatalogued, 1, 107.2 mm standard length, Turkey, Euphrates River 20 km west of Erzurum (ca. 41º03'N, ca. 39º55'E).
Cyprinion macrostomum
Heckel, 1843
Common names
بوتك (= botak); butok; لوتك (= lotak); butak-e dehan (or dahan) buzorg in Khuzestan; galuk (Mokhayer (1981c); kapour; zanbour (= bee) in Khuzestan and Boyer Ahmadi-ye Sardsir va Kohkiluyeh provinces; زنبور دهان بزرگ (= zanbour dahan bozorg); ?tumbuek (= hunting horn, possible name from Heckel (1843b)).
[hmarriya sefra or himriya sefra, surrah masih, kais at Aleppo (= Haleb, Syria) but see above species (Heckel, 1843b); dombok or dumbek at Mosul (= solid or compact flesh, a good source of food, according to Heckel (1843b)); dunbuk kabir al-fam, benayne, all preceding in Arabic; large-mouthed barb, Tigris kingfish].
Systematics
Originally spelt macrostomus but correctly macrostomum (Berg, 1949). Cyprinion neglectus Heckel, 1849 from the "Tigris bei Mossul" is a synonym (Krupp, 1985c; Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil, 1995). Howes (1982) considered that Cyprinion tenuiradius (q.v.) was only a "variant" of this species but did not examine any material. Berg (1949) places C. kais (q.v.) in the synonymy of this species along with C. cypris (see C. kais).
The type locality of Cyprinion macrostomus is given by Heckel (1843b) as "Aleppo" and "Mossul". Krupp (1985c) lists 5 syntypes from Aleppo, 81-133 mm standard length in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 52805), the largest being selected as the lectotype (hence Aleppo is the type locality as designated by the publication of Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995)). One syntype from Aleppo, 83 mm standard length, is in the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (SMF 70, formerly NMW; Eschmeyer et al. (1996) give SMF 870) and 4 syntypes from Mosul, 58-124 mm standard length are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NMW 52806). My measurements are 82.1-135.0 mm standard length for NMW 52805 and 59.1-126.2 mm standard length for NMW 52806. Another syntype is a dried specimen NMW 52503, and the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden has 1 syntype under RMNH 2487, formerly NMW) and 1 syntype under RMNH 2488, formerly NMW). The catalogue in Vienna lists 4 specimens.
Seven syntypes of Cyprinion neglectus from Mosul measure 54-131 mm standard length (NMW 52807), the largest being selected as the lectotype (Krupp, 1985c). My measurements are 53.3-131.9 mm standard length (Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) have 53.1-128.2 mm standard length). All material was collected by Th. Kotschy in 1842 for Aleppo and 1843 for Mosul. The catalogue in Vienna lists only 2 specimens under this name.
?Check lengths against data sheets
Key characters
Distinguished from C. kais by mouth and dorsal fin ray characters as described under that species, by having more gill rakers and a longer and more coiled intestine (Kafuku, 1969). The dorsal fin origin is in front of that of the pelvic fins (Heckel, 1846-1849a). See discussion under C. tenuiradius for distinction from that taxon.
Morphology
Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 12-17 branched rays (usually 14-15 according to Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) but 77% of fish in Iran are 13-14, see below). The last dorsal fin unbranched ray is strong and serrated to the tip. The anal fin has 3 unbranched and 6-7, usually 7, branched rays. In Iranian specimens, 96.1% of 127 fish have 7 rays, the remainder 6 rays. Pectoral fin branched rays are 12-17 and pelvic fin branched rays 7-9, usually 8. Lateral line scales 33-45 (usually 41-44 according to Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil, 1995) but a broader range in Iran, see below). The breast is covered with scales. The pelvic axillary scale is very elongate. Scales are squarish, being deeper than long, often with parallel dorsal and ventral margins (or rounded margins). The anterior margin has a marked central protuberance and the posterior margin is rounded. Radii are numerous on the posterior field and circuli are fine and numerous. The posterior field circuli break into "bubbles". The focus is subcentral anterior. Gill rakers 16-17, on the lower arm 12-16, in the literature but a much wider range in total rakers in Iran (see below). Rakers are short and only touch the raker below or a little further when appressed. Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2, 2,3,4-4,3,2, and variations on 4 or 5 main row teeth. Teeth are spatulate with broad, flattened crowns. The tips of teeth are slightly hooked in small fish. The most anterior tooth in the main row may be very small or absent (or incompletely ossified and hard to distinguish). The gut is very elongate with complex coils. In small fish, the upper lip is not covered with a fold of the snout as in large fish. Also the gut is not as coiled in young fish as in adults. Chromosome number is 2n=48 (Ünlü et al., 1997).
Meristics for Iranian fish from the Tigris River basin: branched dorsal fin rays 12(4), 13(43), 14(52), 15(26) or 16(3)(mean = 13.9, S.D. = 0.861); branched pectoral fin rays 14(3), 15(44), 16(57) or 17(25)(mean = 15.8, S.D. = 0.771); branched pelvic fin rays 7(7), 8(121) or 9(1)( mean = 8.0, S.D. = 0.246); lateral line scales 33(3), 34(1), 35(12), 36(11), 37(3), 38(11), 39(29), 40(31), 41(25), 42(2) or 45(1)(mean = 38.8, S.D. = 2.211); total gill rakers 13(3), 14(8), 15(15), 16(23), 17(15), 18(24), 19(17), 20(14) or 21(6) (mean = 17.3, S.D. = 2.022); pharyngeal teeth 2,3,5-5,3,2(17), 2,3,4-5,3,2(8), 2,3,5-4,3,2(3), or 2,3,4-4,3,2(2); and total vertebrae ?.
The mouth is usually transverse or slightly arched and usually has a horny covering. Small fish have a crescentic mouth. A wide range of mouth arching is seen in fish of varying sizes and even in fish of the same size and locality of capture. Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) note that the syntypes of Cyprinion neglectus have a mouth arch which is more curved and not as wide, somewhat intermediate between C. macrostomum and C. kais, being closer to the former. This variation is attributed to the material possibly being from some tributary of the Tigris River, or from isolated ponds, where introgression with C. kais took place. It may well be that variation in mouth shape is more marked than limited sample sizes would indicate. Certainly in smaller fish, e.g. in 20 specimens of C. macrostomum (38.5-54.0 mm SL) examined by me from Iran, values for mouth width and depth as measured in Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) are not as clear cut and there is a variable developmental gradient in mouth shape. Mouth "height" as a % of width was 29.2-53.8 and width as % of head length was 22.1-36.6. Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) give "height" as 19-31% of width and width as 26-44% head length for macrostomum and 48-80% and 13.5-22.0% respectively for kais. Large macrostomum and kais (>100 mm SL) can be distinguished on mouth shape but not smaller specimens which bridge the gap between the two species. The possibility that kais is a developmental anomaly of macrostomum, retaining juvenile features, should be investigated.
Sexual dimorphism
Mature males have large tubercles on the snout in a broad band below the nostril level, extending back under the eye and breaking up into a few tubercles on the operculum. There is a large tubercle between the nostril and the eye. Fine tubercles are scattered over the top of the head. Three tubercles are found in rows on the first branched pectoral fin ray and very strong tubercles line each anal fin branched ray in single file. The anterior pelvic fin rays have the occasional 1-2 tubercles or a row of tubercles. Dorsal and caudal fin rays have fine tubercles, much smaller than those on the anal fin. Mid and posterior flank scales have 1-3 small tubercles, variably arranged on the exposed scale.
Colour
The back is bluish-grey to bluish-black or brown, flanks silvery or silvery-yellow and the belly whitish with silvery tints. The upper head is light brown. Scales are outlined with dark pigment and the anterior exposed scale base is darkened. The cleithrum area is pink or orange in some fish with pink or orange spots on up to 5 rows of flank scales but mostly along the anterior lateral line. Fish from a saline stream in Khuzestan had a pale-pink cleithrum and lateral line spots. There is a reddish-yellow spot at the base of the pectoral and pelvic fins. The pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins are yellowish to pinkish or orange proximally and blackish distally. The dorsal fin has a narrow, yellow stripe at the base and the rest of the fin is black. The cartilaginous lower jaw is reddish-yellow to orange. The eye is slightly yellow. Small live fish are silvery overall with a white belly and olive back, the pectoral and pelvic fins slightly orange-yellow and other fins greyish although all fins may be hyaline. The peritoneum is black.
Small preserved fish have an indistinct blotch at the caudal fin base and a similar blotch on the back at the base of the spine in the dorsal fin. In very small fish these blotches are more distinct and there are 4-7 irregular blotches on the mid-flank above the lateral line and 3 blotches at the dorsal fin base. Development of blotches is individually variable, some fish being almost immaculate while in others the blotches extend vertically as bars as far as the back.
Size
Reaches 19.3 cm standard length (Krupp, 1985c).
Distribution
Found in the Orontes, (= Asi), Quwayq and Tigris-Euphrates basins. In Iran, it is found in the Tigris River basin including the Hawr Al Azim, Khersan, Jarrahi and Marun rivers (Berg, 1949; Abdoli, 2000) and the northern Gulf basin in the Shapur, Dalaki and Helleh rivers (Gh. Izadpanahi, pers. comm., 1995), the Zohreh River and possibly Lake Famur - some may be C. tenuiradius. Vossoughi (1998) reports this species from the western Jaz Murian basin based on a fishes with 13-15 branched dorsal fin rays, much higher than for C. watsoni, the taxon to be expected in this area.
Zoogeography
Zoogeographical comments are under the genus above.
Habitat
Known from a variety of habitats such as rivers, streams, reservoirs and ponds, as well as canals and gravel pits. Al-Habbib and Al-Habbib (1979) have demonstrated experimentally for a sample from "Nawaran Spring" north of Mosul, Iraq that this species can survive temperatures up to about 37°C. Akpinar and Aksoylar (1989) and Akpinar (1999) report this species from the Kangal Thermal Spring, Sivas, Turkey at a constant temperature of 35°C. This is the commonest species in catches in southwestern Iran, followed by Garra rufa. In areas under human influence in Lorestan, such as the lower reaches of rivers and near cities, it exceeds 80% in numbers in catches.
Age and growth
Maximum age reported for a population in the "Al-Nibaey" Lakes near Baghdad is 7+ years. Growth is slow and there is no difference in growth between males and females, although the habitat is not considered ideal for these fishes. Females tend to be slightly heavier than males of the same length especially in older fish. The length-weight relationship was W = 0.027 L2.67 (r = 0.78) for both sexes, W = 0.028 L2.65 (r = 0.90) for males and W = 0.020 L2.78 (r = 0.93) for females. Maturity is attained at 10.0-11.1 cm, corresponding to age group 2 (Allouse et al., 1989). The length-weight equation for commercially caught fish in the Tigris River was log W = 2.884 log L-4.623, condition factor was 1.15-1.47 (mean 1.28) and fish were immature up to age 2+ (Al-Nasiri, 1991). Haematology of this species from Sarao Subhana Agha near Sulaymaniyah was examined by Al-Mehdi and Khan (1984).
Food
Major food items in the Baghdad study are of plant origin with occasionally some chironomid larvae, copepods and cladocerans. Khan (1988) found for fish from near Sulaimaniyah, Iraq that diatoms and decayed organic matter are the main foods, with some green algae. Zooplankton are thought to be accidental food items. Guts contain mud and sand, evidence of a bottom feeding habit. Feeding increases at the start of the breeding season. The horny lower jaw covering is used to scrape algal food off hard bottom objects.
Reproduction
Near Baghdad, most fish are mature by April, the gonads occupying about one-third of the body cavity. Ovaries are orange to yellowish and testes milky white. Spawning occurs principally in May and June, with some in early July, but by July most fish are spent.
Iranian material shows minute but developing eggs in a 71.3 mm standard length fish caught on 31 January and specimens caught on 5 July have eggs 1.4 mm in diameter. The 31 January fish has tubercles on the snout and anal rays so tubercles develop quite early and in small fish. A fish caught on 20 September also shows tubercles around the snout. Small fish caught in January about 20 mm SL are presumably the young from the previous season and so show slow growth or are evidence of a prolonged or late spawning season.
Parasites and predators
Gussev et al. (1993a) describe a new species of monogenean from C. macrostomum in the Karun River, Dactylogyrus cyprinioni, and Jalali (1992) a new species of monogenean, Dogielius molnari, in the Dez River, both in Khuzestan. Jalali et al. (1995) describe a new species of monogenean, Dactylogyrus pallicirrus, from fish taken in the Dez River near Ahvaz.
Economic importance
Al-Mehdi and Khan (1984) report this species to be important in riverine and culture fisheries in northern Iraq. Ündar et al. (1990) identify this species and Garra rufa as the "doctor fish" of the Kangal hot spring in Turkey (Timur et al., 1983; Warwick and Warwick, 1989; Kürkçüoğlu and Öz, 1989; and various newspaper and television reports). High water temperatures reduce the amount of plankton available as fish food and the fish nibble away infected skin of humans who bathe in these waters. The fish is known as "striker" (and Garra rufa as "licker") from its behaviour in the spa pools. The healing properties are linked to the high level of selenium (1.3 p.p.m.) in the water, selenium being beneficial in some skin diseases, and possibly to UV light. The fish facilitate the action of the selenium and UV light by softening and clearing away psoriatic plaque and scale, exposing the lesions to the water and sunlight. However, some lesions are made worse and the fish can cause some new ones.
Conservation
This species is widely distributed in southern areas, particularly Khuzestan, and does not appear to be under threat other than that suffered by all species by pollution and water abstraction. Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007).
Further work
See comments above on the need for further work to distinguish this species from C. kais, especially when young and below for distinction from C. tenuiradius.
Sources
Type material: See above, Cyprinion macrostomum (NMW 52805, 52806), C. neglectus (NMW 52807).
Iranian material: Tigris basin: and presumably macrostomum CMNFI 1979-0268, 13, 92.2-122.4 mm standard length, Lorestan, Dez or Karkheh drainage between Nowqan and Khorramabad (no other locality data); CMNFI 1979-0269, 4, 104.7-110.6 mm standard length, Lorestan, Dez or Karkheh drainage between Nowqan and Khorramabad (no other locality data); CMNFI 1979-0270, 10, 85.5-122.4 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º26'N, 48º19'E); CMNFI 1979-0271, 3, 100.7-144.8 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º39'N, 48º32'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0273, 9, ? mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º26'N, 48º19'E); CMNFI 1979-0274, 14, ? mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º27'N, 48º11'E); CMNFI 1979-0275, 2, 142.4-165.0 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º25'N, 47º58'E); CMNFI 1979-0278, 4, 93.5-114.1 mm standard length, Lorestan, Kashkan River drainage (33º34'N, 48º01'E); CMNFI 1979-0279, 9, 100.3-149.4 mm standard length, Lorestan, Khorramabad River (33º37'N, 48º18'E); CMNFI 1979-0283, 5, 93.0-144.0 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Qareh Su drainage (34º21'N, 47º07'E); CMNFI 1979-0287, 1, 112.6 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Chashmeh Javari 2 km from Ravansar (ca. 34º42'N, ca. 46º40'E); CMNFI 1979-0288, 1, 94.3 mm standard length, Ilam and Poshtkuh, Gangir River at Juy Zar (33º50'N, 46º18'E); CMNFI 1979-0289, 4, ? mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage (34º28'N, 45º52'E); CMNFI 1979-0290, 11, 49.3-133.0 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage at Qasr-e Shirin (34º31'N, 45º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0291, 15, ? mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Diyala River drainage (34º24'N, 45º37'E); CMNFI 1979-0350, 18, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Marun River near Marun (30º39'30"N, 50º02'E); CMNFI 1979-0355, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream tributary to Karun River at Salmaneh (30º35'N, 48º22'E); CMNFI 1979-0356, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream at Hoveyzeh (31º27'N, 48º04'E); CMNFI 1979-0360, 2, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, canal branch of Karkheh River (31º40'N, 48º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0361, 3, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, jube in Karkheh River drainage (31º42'N, 48º33'E); CMNFI 1979-0363, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karkheh River (31º52'N, 48º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0364, 2, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, river at Abdolkhan (31º52'30"N< 48º20'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0365, 24, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Doveyrich River drainage (32º25'N, 47º36'30'E); CMNFI 1979-0366, 16, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream west of Dehloran (32º45'30"N, 47º05'30"E); ID? CMNFI 1979-0367, 2, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Meymeh River 11 km north of Dehloran (32º44'30"N, 47º09'30"E) ID? CMNFI 1979-0368, 12, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karkheh River (32º24'30"N, 48º09'E); CMNFI 1979-0371, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Karkheh River drainage (32º05'N, 48º19'E); CMNFI 1979-0373, 12, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Bala River north of Andimeshk (32º35'N, 48º17'E); CMNFI 1979-0374, 46, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream tributary to Bala River (32º40'N, 48º15'E); CMNFI 1979-0376, 9, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, river tributary to Karkheh River (32º48'30"N, 48º04'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0378, 10, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream tributary to Karkheh River (ca. 32º48'N, ca. 48º04'E); CMNFI 1979-0379, 11, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dez River (32º12'N, 48º27'E); CMNFI 1979-0380, 5, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream tributary to Dez River (ca. 32º10'N, ca. 48º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0381, 28, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream 40 km west of Shushtar (ca. 32º10'N, ca. 48º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0382, 67, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karun River at Shushtar (32º03'N, 48º51'E); CMNFI 1979-0383, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Ab-e Shur drainage (31º59'30"N, 49º06'E); CMNFI 1979-0384, 7, 86.3-152.2 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Ab-e Shur drainage (32º00'N, 49º07'E); CMNFI 1979-0386, 4, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream 21 km from Haft Gel (ca. 31º34'N, ca. 49º23'E); CMNFI 1979-0387, 6, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream 12 km from Haft Gel, Jarrahi River drainage (31º25'N, 49º38'E); CMNFI 1979-0388, 2, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zard River (31º19'N, 49º44'E); CMNFI 1979-0390B, 23, 36.2-156.2 mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream 3km south of Bagh-e Malek (31º29'N, 49º54'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0391, 1, 154.5 mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Marun River drainage (31º28'N, 49º51'E); CMNFI 1979-0392, 5, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zard River (ca. 31º32'N, ca. 49º48'E); CMNFI 1979-0393, 2, 96.9-116.6 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Jarrahi River drainage (31º18'N, 49º37'E); CMNFI 1979-0394, 1, 130.2 mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Marun River drainage (31º01'N, 49º45'E); CMNFI 1979-0395, 4, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, stream in Marun River drainage (ca. 30º57'N, ca. 49º51'E); CMNFI 1979-0396, 1, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Kheyrabad River (30º32'N, 50º23'30"E); ID? CMNFI 1979-0398, 23, ? mm standard length, Boyer Ahmadi-ye Sardsir va Kohkiluyeh, stream in Zohreh River drainage (30º24'30"N, 50º37'30"E); ID? CMNFI 1979-0399, 7, ? mm standard length, Fars, stream in Zohreh River drainage (30º19'30"N, 51º15'E); CMNFI 1991-0153, 1, 171.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Zohreh River (no other locality data); CMNFI 1991-0154, 1, 109.9 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Hawr al-Azim (ca. 31º45'N, ca. 47º55'E); CMNFI 1993-0128, 1, 110.7 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Sarab-e Sabz 'Ali Khan (34º25'N, 46º32'E); CMNFI 1993-0149, 1, 121.7 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Karun River (no other locality data); CMNFI 2007-0111, 6, 24.7-173.8 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Alvand River near Sar-e Pol-e Zahab (ca. 34º36'N, ca. 45º56'E); CMNFI 2007-0112, 6, 46.5-118.8 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Kerend River basin near Shahabad-e Gharb (ca. 34º06'N, ca. 46º30'E; CMNFI 2007-0113, 1, 122.1 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Razavar River, Qareh Su tributary (ca. 34º25'N, ca. 47º01'E); CMNFI 2007-0115, 6, 59.7-154.8 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Qareh Su basin (ca. 34º34'N, ca. 46º47'E); CMNFI 2007-0116, 12, ?-93.0 mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Gav Masiab basin west of Sahneh (ca. 34º28'N, ca. 47º36'E); CMNFI 2007-0117, 1, ? mm standard length, Kermanshahan, Gav Masiab basin near Sahneh (ca. 34º24'N, ca. 47º40'E); BM(NH) 1980.8.28:1, 1, 90.3 mm standard length, Khuzestan, Dezful (32º23'N, 48º24'E); BWC95-20, 14, ? mm standard length, Khuzestan, Rud Zard at Rud Zard (31º22'N, 49º43'E); Gulf fish:- ? tenuiradius CMNFI 1979-0020, 56, ?, mm standard length, Fars, Mand River outside Kavar (29º11'N, 52º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0054, 14, 37.4-64.1 mm standard length, Fars, Shur River tributary (ca. 28º58-29º03'N, ca, 52º34-35'E); CMNFI 1979-0075, 123, 21.3-142.4 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Pol-e Kavar (29º11'N, 52º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0109, 5, 63.2-100.2 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Shahr-e Khafr (28º56'N, 53º14'E); CMNFI 1979-0128, 7, 19.2-103.8 mm standard length, Shur River (28º51'N, 52º31'E); CMNFI 1979-0131, 19, 16.4-41.7 mm standard length, Fars, Ab-Arak River (28º38'N, 52º49'E); CMNFI 1979-0132, 72?, 15.2-100.1 mm standard length, Fars, Ab-Arak River (28º35'N, 52º58'E); CMNFI 1979-0133, 50, 45.6-95.5 mm standard length, qanat stream near Qir (28º27'30"N, 53º03'E); CMNFI 1979-0135, 18, 21.8-49.2 mm standard length, Mand River tributary (28º08'N, 53º10'E); CMNFI 1979-0157, 4, 23.6-85.4 mm standard length, Fars, qanat stream at Hadiabad (28º52'N, 54º13'E); macrostomum? CMNFI 1979-0193, 1, 36.3 mm standard length, Fars, river 8 km from Darab (28º45'N, 54º27'30"E); macrostomum? CMNFI 1979-0195, 1, ? mm standard length, Fars, jube west of Darab (ca. 28º54'N, ca. 53º53'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0196, 1, 59.9 mm standard length, Fasrs, qanat and pool at Khanehnehrin (28º50'N, 53º31'30"E); not on data sheet check jar? CMNFI 1979-0197, 1, 51.3 mm standard length, Fars, spring nd stream 33 km from Fasa (28º45'N, 53º25'E); CMNFI 1979-0198, 23, 22.3-57.7 mm standard length, Fars, stream at Tadovan (28º47'N, 53º24'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0200, 8, 29.0-46.1 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River tributary (28º36'N, 53º36'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0202, 12, ? mm standard length, Fars, Mand River (29º01'N, 53º00'E); CMNFI 1979-0241, 18, 43.8-72.6 mm standard length, Fars, Shapur River at Shapur (29º47'N, 51º35'E); CMNFI 1979-0347, 2, 105.2-106.7 mm standard length, Fasr, Pol-e Berengie (29º27'30"N, 52º32'E); CMNFI 1979-0348, 4, 52.9-79.1 mm standard length, Fars, stream at Somduldul (ca. 29º28'N, ca. 52º32'E); CMNFI 1979-0404, 25, 20.2-127.9 mm standard length, Bushehr, stream 33 km south of Kaki (28º08'N, 51º47'E); CMNFI 1979-0405, 4, 33.5-36.7 mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream about 13 km north of Rostaq (28º29"N, 54º59'E); ID? CMNFI 1979-0497, 1, 85.6 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Band-e Bahman (29º11'N, 52º40'E); CMNFI 1979-0501, 17, 18.7-91.0 mm standard length, Fars, Mand River at Kavar (29º11'N, 52º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0504, 6, ?-93.0 mm standard length, Fars, stream at Pol-e Gaz in Lake Maharlu basin (no other locality data); CMNFI 1979-0789, 1, 164.6 mm standard length, Fars, Lake Parishan (29º45'N, 53º40'E); CMNFI 1993-0141, 1, 64.4 mm standard length, Bushehr, Dalaki River (29º28'N, 51º15'E); ID? CMNFI 2007-0061, 2, ? mm standard length, Fars, qanat pool at Ab-e Barik (ca. 27º52'N, ca. 54º09'E); CMNFI 2007-0063, 6, ? mm standard length, Fars, Mand River outside Jahrom (28º36'N, 53º37'E); USNM 205890, 2, 46.0-48.7 mm standard length, Fars, Lake Parishan (29º45'N, 53º40'E); ZSM 25705, 1, 107.0 mm standard length, Fars, Lake Parishan (29º45'N, 53º40'E).
Comparative material:- CMNFI 1980-0811, 2, 82.6-112.4 mm, Turkey, Akziyaret Deresi, Tigris River system (no other locality data);
BM(NH) 1931.12.21:1-2, 2, 69.5-78.5 mm standard length, Iraq, Mosul (36º20'N, 43º08'E); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1184, 1, 130.2 mm standard length, Iraq, Sulaimaniyah (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1196, 1, 53.0 mm standard length, Hawiya Canal, Lesser Zab (); BM(NH) 1974.2.22:1214-1255 (in part), Khalis (33º49'N, 44º32'E).
Cyprinion milesi
(Day, 1880)
Common names
None.
[sabzug in Pakistan].
Systematics
Barbus milesi was described from "a spring at Tràl", Pakistan.
Berg (1949), Mirza (1969), Mirza et al. (1991) and Howes (1982) recognise this species as valid. If so, synonyms according to Berg (1949), would be Barbus bampurensis Nikol'skii, 1899 described from "Flum. Bampur", Scaphiodon daukesi Zugmayer, 1912 from "Irrigation channels and pools near Panjgur, Baluchistan, Pakistan", and Barbus baschakirdi Holly, 1929 from "Ein Bach bei Guadjik am Wege von Sarzeh in Biabun nach Darpahan in den Bergen von Baschakird, Südostpersien" (= a brook at Guadjik on the way from Sarzeh in Biabun to Darpahan in the Baschakird Mountains, southeast Persia).
Much of my material from southeastern Iran was assigned by me to C. watsoni. Specimens that resemble C. milesi (lacking a shallowly arched or sector mouth with a horny edge but having an oblique u-shaped mouth) are found at the same sample localities as typical C. watsoni. The mouth structure of the putative C. milesi resembles that of juvenile C. watsoni, possibly retained in the adult (paedomorphosis). A Principal Components Analysis does not separate these two forms when the mouth characters are not included in the analysis.
A specimen in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 52736, 34.4 mm standard length, is listed as a syntype under the name Cirrhina milesi but its locality is Gwadur, Hubb River and the type status may be an error.
Five syntypes of Barbus bampurensis, 32.0-64.8 mm standard length, are in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg (ZISP 11715) from "Flum. Bampur, 15-23.VII.1898, Zarudnyi". The jar label gives a date of 15-19.VII.1898.
The holotype of Barbus baschakirdi, 52.2 mm standard length, is in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 13798 and a cotype (syntype) of Scaphiodon daukesi, 102.8 mm standard length, is under NMW 19784.
Scaphiodon daukesi types in Munich were destroyed in World War II but one syntype is in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 19784, and two syntypes are in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta under ZSI F8028/1 and 8032/1 ((Menon and Yazdani, 1968; Eschmeyer et al., 1996; Neumann, 2006).
Key characters
The mouth is characteristically oblique, longer in lateral view than C. watsoni.
Morphology
The oblique mouth reaches back to the anterior eye margin in small fish and to the rear of the nostril in larger fish. Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 10-13 branched rays, anal fin with 2 unbranched and 7 branched rays, pectoral fin with 14-16 branched rays and pelvic fin with 7-8 branched rays. Total gill rakers 11-12. The following description is based mostly on Barbus bampurensis types. Dorsal fin spine strong and serrated, with large teeth in small fish. Lateral line scales 34-39. The scaleless groove before the dorsal fin is weakly expressed. Scales are present on the belly of large fish, almost absent on small fish. Upper flank scales may be regularly or irregularly arranged. Scales have few to no anterior radii, numerous posterior radii, numerous fine circuli, a subcentral anterior focus, and an anterior scale margin indented above and below the mid-line. A pelvic axillary scale is present. The head is more massive in relation to the body than for similar size C. watsoni/kirmanense specimens. The barbel is quite stubby at the base but tapers rapidly to the tip in larger fish. The type series of Barbus bampurensis (= C. milesi) has dorsal fin branched rays 10(4) or 11 (1), anal fin branched rays 7(5), pectoral fin branched rays 14(1) or 15(3) (one unclear), pelvic fin branched rays 7(1) or 8(4), lateral line scales 34(1), 36(1) and 37(3), and total gill rakers 11(3) or 12 (2). Two fish from Sib (see below) had dorsal fin branched rays 9(1) or 10(1), anal fin branched rays 7(2), pectoral fin branched rays 15(2), pelvic fin branched rays 6(1) or 7(1), lateral line scales 35(1) or 37(1), pharyngeal teeth 4,3,2 on the left side, total gill rakers 13(1) or 14 (1), and total vertebrae 38(1) or 39(1). Pharyngeal teeth have a slight hook on the anteriormost tooth with the rest in the main row with scooped-out crowns.
Sexual dimorphism
Tubercles line the anal fin rays and are apparent on the snout in males.
Colour
Copper-brown on the back and upper flank fading to a pinkish belly. Fins are pink and the lateral line has a bright orange streak along it. The preopercle also has orange-golden spots as does the base of the pectoral fins. There is a dark blotch at the base of the caudal fin. The caudal fin base bears a spot in small specimens and there are some much smaller, irregular spots on the caudal peduncle. Peritoneum brown to black.
Size
Attains about 19.0 cm.
Distribution
In Iran, it is recorded from the Sarbaz River of the Makran according to Saadati (1977), the Bampur River of the Hamun-e Jaz Murian basin according to Berg (1949) and the Dozdan River of the Hormozgan basin (H. R. Esmaeili). Also in the Mashkid River basin in Pakistan and in rivers draining to the Indian Ocean.
Zoogeography
See under the genus.
Habitat
Unknown.
Age and growth
Unknown.
Food
Unknown.
Reproduction
Unknown.
Parasites and predators
None reported from Iran.
Economic importance
None.
Conservation
The distribution, abundance and biology of this species in Iran is poorly known and an assessment for conservation status cannot be given.
Further work
See above.
Sources
Type material: See above, Barbus bampurensis (ZISP 11715),Barbus baschakirdi (NMW 13798) and Scaphiodon daukesi (NMW 19784).
Iranian material: BM(NH)1883.8.2:2-3, 2, 72.2-130.9 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Sib near Dizak (27º15'N, 62º05'E). BWC97-4 no fish on cat sheet?
Comparative material: BM(NH) 1889.2.1:263-264, 2, 89.3-108.7 mm standard length, Afghanistan (no other locality data).
Cyprinion tenuiradius
Heckel, 1849
Common names
[Araxes kingfish (Fricke et al., 2007)]
Systematics
The type locality is the "Kara-Agatsch als aus dem Araxes" (= Qarah Aqaj River and the Kor River, Fars). Sometimes spelt tenuiradiatus (e.g. in Rainboth (1981) but this is incorrect). Syntypes of Cyprinion tenuiradius are in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien according to Kähsbauer (1964) under NMW 52808 (1 specimen, 116.7 mm standard length), 52809 (2, 52.3-58.0 mm standard length), 52811 (4, 42.7-47.4 mm standard length), 52815 (1, 77.0 mm standard length) and 52816 (2, 75.5-80.8, although Kähsbauer lists only 1 while Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) list 2 as also found by me). Other material marked as syntypes from the "Kara-Agatsch. Th. Kotschy" includes NMW 52810 (2 , 103.7-110.0 mm standard length), NMW 52812 (2, 103.5-104.8 mm standard length), NMW 52813 (2, 97.7-103.1 mm standard length), NMW 52814 (1, 114.9 mm standard length), and 52817 (1, not examined). The catalogue in Vienna lists 8 specimens in one column and 26 in the adjacent column. Eschmeyer et al. (1996) add 2 fish from the Araxes River, formerly in NMW, now at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden under RMNH 2486. The lectotype as selected by F. Krupp in 1984 is NMW 52814 and is published by Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) with NMW 52808, 52809, 52810, 52811, 52812, 52813, 52815 and 52816 as paralectotypes.
Karaman (1971) assigns this taxon as a subspecies of Cyprinion macrostomum and Bianco and Banarescu (1982) suggest it may be a subspecies in a polytypic species. Berg (1949) records it from the Tigris River where it may be sympatric with C. macrostomum. He considers it to be close to that species, perhaps its southeastern subspecies. Howes (1982) considers tenuiradius to be a variant of C. macrostomum.
Heckel (1846-1849b) distinguishes this species from C. macrostomum by a lower scale count (35-36 as opposed to 42; Berg (1949) gives 35-38 as opposed to 37-43); Krupp (1985c) gives 34-38 compared to 39-43 in macrostomum; Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) give 36-38, rarely 35 or 39 in C. tenuiradius compared to 41-44, rarely 40 or 45 in C. macrostomum), slenderer body, and a much thinner dorsal spine which is soft in its distal third. The mouth is arched and there is some lower lip development at the mouth corner as in C. kais (see illustrations in Krupp (1985c)). In addition, Berg (1949) gives a branched dorsal fin ray count of 12-13 in C. tenuiradius, 13-15 in C. macrostomum, although Banarescu and Herzig-Straschil (1995) give (12)13-15 for C. tenuiradius from the type locality of Kara-Agasch (sic). Krupp (1985c) states that tenuiradius has a smaller number of scale radii than macrostomum, radii are divergent and the posterior scale margin is curved. However, data for specimens examined by me show overlaps in meristic characters; although means differ, individual fish would be difficult to distinguish on counts alone.
The question then arises as to whether tenuiradius is distinct from macrostomum or merely a variant of a wide-ranging, variable species. The only absolute character is a weaker dorsal fin spine based on examination of type material; other, meristic characters overlap and minor variations in body form are difficult to quantify given a wide range of habitats (lowland rivers and marshes versus highland streams) which may affect shape. The species tenuiradius is retained here as distinct but would benefit from further analyses using new characters, if available, from molecular data.
Key characters
Distribution and a weak spine distinguish this taxon. The dorsal fin spine in macrostomum has teeth extending further along the spine, teeth are more well-developed even near the tip. Spine teeth in tenuiradius are more graded in size as they near the tip and are finer than in macrostomum.
Morphology
Dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 11-15 branched rays (Berg (1949) has 12-13). The anal fin has 3 unbranched and 6-8 branched rays, usually 7. In 199 Iranian fish, 96.5% have 7 anal fin rays with the rest having 6 rays and 1, presumably anomalous fish, with 9 rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 13-18, pelvic fin branched rays 7-9. Lateral line scales 32-39. Gill rakers 10-21. Scales on the belly may be small and skin covered. There is a naked dorsal keel in front of the dorsal fin, although the area behind the occiput may be scaled and the groove begins nearer the dorsal fin. The mouth is transverse to more or less curved. The dorsal fin spine is weak and serrated only half way or two-thirds of its length. The chromosome number is 2n=50, comprising 13 metacentric, 5 submetacentric and 7 subtelocentric chromosomes pairs. Arm number is NF=86 (Esmaeili and Piravar, 2006).
Meristics for fish from Persian Gulf drainages of Fars, Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces including the Lake Maharlu endorheic basin:- dorsal fin branched rays 11(4), 12(51), 13(175), 14(74) or 15(9) (mean = 13.1, S.D. = 0.746); pectoral fin branched rays 13(3), 14(38), 15(117), 16(41), 17(2) or 18(1)(mean = 15.0, S.D. = 0.733); pelvic fin branched rays 7(23), 8(177) or 9(3)(mean = 7.9, S.D. = 0.345); total gill rakers 10(2), 11(16), 12(27), 13(24), 14(49), 15(35), 16(20), 17(14), 18(8), 19(3) or 21(1)(many counts are based on small specimens and may be low accordingly in comparison with Tigris River basin fishes; mean = 14.2, S.D. = 2.003); and lateral line scales 32(1), 33(15), 34(28), 35(41), 36(47), 37(56), 38(13) or 39(2)(mean = 35.7, S.D. = 1.431).
Sexual dimorphism
Unknown.
Colour
Overall colour is yellowish-white with a light grey back. Scale bases on the flank above the lateral line are brown. The pectoral and pelvic fins have an orange-yellow spot at their base.
Size
Reaches 16.3 cm (Berg, 1949).
Distribution
This species is found in the Gulf and Lake Maharlu basins in Iran (Bianco and Banarescu, 1982; M. Rabbaniha, pers. comm., 1995; Abdoli, 2000).
Heckel (1849) records this species as from the "Araxes", the modern Kor River in Fars. However, the catalogue sheets in Vienna for the types only list the "Kara Agatsch" (= Mand River) and no subsequent collections have been made of this species in the internal Kor River basin although Abdoli (2000) also maps it from the middle to lower Kor River, possibly based on Heckel's report. Berg (1949) records it from the Tigris River basin, perhaps in error, and Fricke et al. (2007) have it in Turkey from the Aras River system of eastern Turkey (presumably a confusion of the modern Aras or Araxes River with the classical Araxes or Kor River of Fars).
Zoogeography
See under the genus.
Habitat
Unknown in detail but found in springs, streams and rivers of varying descriptions.
Age and growth
Unknown. Esmaeili and Ebrahimi (2006) give a significant length-weight relationship based on 40 fish measuring 5.04-13.49 cm fork length. The a-value was 0.0139 and the b-value 3.063 (a b-value < 3 indicating a fish that becomes less rotund as length increases and a b-value >3 indicating a fish that becomes more rotund as length increases).
Food
Unknown.
Reproduction
Unknown.
Parasites and predators
None reported from Iran.
Economic importance
None.
Conservation
The distribution, abundance and biology of this species in Iran is poorly known and an assessment for conservation status cannot be given. Endangered in Turkey (Fricke et al., 2007) but probably does not occur there.
Further work
See above.
Sources
Type material: See above, Cyprinion tenuiradius (NMW 52808, 52809, 52810, 52811, 52812, 52813, 52814, 52815, 52816).
Iranian material: ? see above and ID
Cyprinion watsoni
(Day, 1872)
Common names
None.
[sehrgoar; sabzug = watsoni and microphthalmum - all in Pakistan].
Systematics
Scaphiodon irregularis Day, 1872 described from "rivers in the Sind hills", India, probably Scaphiodon microphthalmus Day, 1880 from "Quetta", Scaphiodon muscatensis Boulenger, 1887 from Muscat, Oman, Cirrhina afghana Günther, 1889 from "Nushki (N. Baluchistan)" and "small river at Kushk (N.W. Afghanistan), Badghis", Cyprinion kirmanense Nikol'skii, 1899 from "Schur-Ab in Kirmano orient.", Cirrhina afghana var. nikolskii Berg, 1905, Scaphiodon macmahoni Regan, 1906, Scaphiodon baluchiorum Jenkins, 1910 (see below for type locality), Scaphiodon watsoni var. belense Zugmayer, 1912 from the "Purali River, near Las Bela" (in Pakistani Baluchistan), Scaphiodon readingi Hora, 1923 from the "Salt Range, Punjab", India, and Cyprinion microphthalmum infraspecies nikolskii Berg, 1949 described originally in part as Cirrhina afghana var. nikolskii Berg, 1905, and Semiplotus dayi Fowler, 1958 are synonyms.
Semiplotus dayi was coined by Fowler to replace Scaphiodon aculeatus, a misidentification by Day (1880) for Chondrostoma aculeatum (= Capoeta aculeata). Fowler thought that Day's fish represented a new species which he named Semiplotus dayi. Howes (1982) considers Semiplotus dayi to be a synonym of Capoeta capoeta (since Karaman (1969a) synonymises Scaphiodon aculeata with C. capoeta. Day's Scaphiodon aculeatus is placed in the synonymy of Cyprinion microphthalmum infraspecies nikolskii by Berg (1949).
Syntypes (or at least specimens examined by Day) of Scaphiodon watsoni described from rivers on the Sind Hills and the Salt Range of the Punjab, India are in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta under ZSI 2596 (1), the Natural History Museum, London under BM(NH) 1889.2.1.370-9 (10, but 14 in jar September 2007, 35.6-93.4 mm standard length), the Australian Museum, Sydney under B.7751 (1), the Zoölogisch Museum, Universiteit van Amsterdam under ZMA 115.924 (2) and ZMA 119.255 (1), the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien under NMW 51671 (1), NMW 51672 (1) and NMW 51673 (1), the Museum für Naturkunde, Universität Humboldt, Berlin under ZMB 11042 (1)(132.6 mm standard length), the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden under RMNH 8704 (1) (or possibly 2552), the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg under ZISP 8278 (4 but only 2 fish found by me, 63.6-79.6 mm standard length), and the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago under FMNH 2303 ? 2302(4, 34.0-72.5 mm standard length as examined by me) (Whitehead and Talwar, 1976; Nijssen et al., 1993; Eschmeyer et al., 1996; Ferraris et al., 2000). The 3 fish in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien measure 86.6, 80.8 and 93.3 mm standard length respectively and are listed there as syntypes.
ZISP 8279 comprising 3 fish, 51.5-52.1 mm standard length, has the same data as ZISP 8278 and may also be types. It is not clear if these are all types, those in ZISP not being marked as types and those in BM(NH) being marked as "possible types"; they may include material simply collected by Francis Day.
A cotype of Scaphiodon watsoni var. belense (NMW 19833) measures 136.9 mm standard length. Eschmeyer et al. (1996) report 2 fish under NMW 19833 although the Vienna card index in 1997 lists only one syntype under this number. In the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta there are single syntypes under ZSI F827/1 (a misprint for 8027), ZSI F8029/1, ZSI F8030/1 and ZSI F8031/1 (see also Menon and Yazdani (1968)). The remainder of 42 syntypes were in the Munich Museum but were destroyed in World War II (Neumann, 2006).
Types of Scaphiodon microphthalmus are probably lost. The species was described from 2 specimens taken at Quetta in Pakistan. One specimen was sent to the Florence Museum but a recent search failed to locate it and the other specimen has not been located (Whitehead and Talwar, 1976; Banister and Clarke, 1977). A fish measuring 130.1 mm standard length in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien is listed as a possible syntype (NMW 55897) and in the 1997 card index as "? holotype" (sic).
Note Howes (1982) and Mirza et al. (1991) consider Cyprinion microphthalmum to be a valid species with muscatensis, afghana, afghana var. nikolskii and baluchiorum as synonyms. Howes places macmahoni in watsoni rather than microphthalmum as Berg (1949) and Mirza (1969) do. Howes (1982) also includes irregularis, kirmanense, and readingi in watsoni.
A syntype of Scaphiodon irregularis is in the Australian Museum, Sydney under AMS B.7883 (Ferraris et al., 2000). Syntypes of Scaphiodon muscatensis are in the Natural History Museum, London under BM(NH) 1885.11.7:35-40 (6, 66.4-89.3 mm standard length) and BM(NH) 1887.11.11:289-291 (3, 72.1-79.3 mm standard length) (Eschmeyer et al., 1996; personal observations). Syntypes of Scaphiodon readingi are in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta under ZSI F10353/1 and ZSI 10354/1 (27) (sic, although the catalogue numbers seem to indicate only 2 fish) (Menon and Yazdani, 1968) and in the Zoological Museum of Moscow University (ZMMU) (P-1588) (Pavlinov and Borissenko, 2001).
Three syntypes of Scaphiodon baluchiorum (ZSI F9398 to F9400) and one syntype of Scaphiodon macmahoni (ZSI F1239/1) are in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta (Menon and Yazdani, 1968). A syntype of Scaphiodon macmahoni measuring 58.6 mm standard length from "Seistan" is in the Natural History Museum, London and was labelled as Cyprinion watsoni (BM(NH) 1905.11.29:27, 58.6 mm standard length). The type locality of Scaphiodon baluchiorum is "Gishtigan (Bampusht); Kalagan, 3,500 feet; Baluchistan". These localities are in Pakistani Baluchistan; Gishtigan being on the Kulushta River which drains into the Nihing River and then the Dashti River (Jenkins, 1910) (these are near the border of Iranian Baluchestan with the upper reaches of the Nihing being in Iran) and Kalagan possibly being the Kalugar River with headwaters in Iran and draining to the Hamun-i Mashkel in Pakistan. The type locality of Scaphiodon macmahoni is "affluents of the Helmand" (Regan, 1906), presumably an error for "effluents" or the delta of the Helmand.
The holotype of Cyprinion kirmanense, 61.6 mm standard length, is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg under ZISP 11712 from "Schur-Ab in Kirmano orient. 27.VI." The 5 syntypes of Cirrhina afghana var. nikolskii are in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg (ZISP 11709) and are from the "Bampur River, 27 VII 1898, N. Zarudnyi" according to Berg (1949) but he mentions 2 additional fish with a somewhat deeper body, presumably also part of the type series. ZISP 11709 does have 7 specimens, 43.0-79.1 mm standard length, with a date 15-27.VII.1898. Four syntypes of Cirrhina afghana measuring 74.6-83.0 mm standard length from "Kushk" annotated Afghan. Boundary Comm. are in the Natural History Museum, London (BM(NH) 1886.9.21:150-154 - note that 150-154 indicates there should be 5 fish) with a further 6 syntypes measuring 44.9-99.5 mm standard length labelled "Nushki" and also annotated Afghan. Boundary Comm. (BM(NH) 1886.9.21:155-159 - note this indicates there should be 5 fish in this jar and probably one fish has been mixed up). Additional syntypes are in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta under ZSI 11474-11476 (3) and ZSI 11479-11485 (7) (Eschmeyer et al., 1996).
Berg (1949) places Cirrhina afghana var. nikolskii in his Cyprinion microphthalmum infraspecies nikolskii (see also Berg (1933a)). This infraspecies occurs together with Cyprinion microphthalmum but differs by a stronger osseous ray in the dorsal fin which is serrated almost to the summit (Berg (1949) states that transitions exist). The anterior belly region is scaleless also. ZISP 11709 fish mostly have their dorsal spines snapped off but one fish has osseous ray teeth between three-quarters and four-fifths along the spine and a second about three-quarters. ZISP 25406 from a qanat between Kerman and Bandar-e `Abbas comprises 12 fish, 31.0-53.6 mm standard length, belonging to infraspecies nikolskii according to Berg (1949). These fish, of all sizes, have the last quarter to a third of the osseous spine in the dorsal fin unserrated. The mouth form varies. One large fish has a terminal mouth, moderately oblique in lateral view, and no strong horny layer on the lower jaw. Others have a u-shaped or horny jaw positioned on the lower head surface so there is no real gape in lateral view. Some small fish are transitional between the two types. Fin serration, mouth form and development of scales on the anterior belly seem to be widely variable within samples of Cyprinion from a single locality and presumably a single species.
Berg (1949) recognises Cyprinion watsoni belense as a subspecies, rather than a variety as originally described, from Indian Ocean drainages of southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan (Baluchistan). It is distinguished by smaller scales (33-36) from the type form (31-34), hardly a sufficient criterion given the wide distribution range and individual variation shown by these fishes.
This species has not been adequately examined in southeastern Iran and most nominal species are referred to Cyprinion watsoni, the earliest available name for the taxon. C. watsoni is distinguished from other Iranian Cyprinion by having 9-11 dorsal fin branched rays (macrostomum and tenuiradius have 12-15; C. milesi also has a low dorsal ray count but has an oblique mouth, not transverse or arched (Berg, 1949)). Bianco and Banarescu (1982) consider that several subspecies may eventually be defined and that some of the names in synonymy here would then be used.
Berg (1949) also recognises C. irregulare as a distinct species with a low dorsal fin branched ray count as in C. watsoni but usually 37 or more scales in the lateral line, a scaleless groove on the back before the dorsal fin, and upper scale rows anteriorly arranged irregularly and not imbricate and C. microphthalmum with a low dorsal fin branched ray count as in C. watsoni but usually 37 or more scales in the lateral line, a scaleless groove on the back before the dorsal fin barely outlined, and upper scale rows anteriorly arranged regularly and imbricate. C. microphthalmum infraspecies nikolskii is described as having a strong dorsal fin spine with obvious teeth extending to the tip while typical C. microphthalmum has a weak ray with weak teeth only visible when the skin covering the fin is peeled away.
Berg (1949) later states that no great importance should be attached to the upper row scale arrangement and the groove development - if the groove is well-developed then the upper row scales are irregular and this phenomenon can be seen in some C. watsoni and C. microphthalmum specimens. Berg then suggests that irregulare could be regarded as an infraspecies of C. microphthalmum as this type of condition occurs in Capoeta fusca and in Garra rossica. Under the heading C. watsoni Berg also gives mouth shape, scale arrangement, dorsal fin spine serrations, and body form as characters which can vary greatly. These observations serve to confirm the great variability in characters for these fishes. Large series of adults and young would be needed to adequately define species and subspecies.
Mirza (1969) reports C. watsoni, C. microphthalmum and C. milesi from western Pakistan and Iran, the former in Makran drainages and the latter two in the Mashkel (= Mashkid) River basin. The characters used to separate these taxa are an oblique mouth and head length contained less than 4.5 times in total length (= C. milesi), an arched mouth, head length more than 4.5 times in total length, scaleless strip on back conspicuous, and 33-36 lateral line scales (= C. watsoni), and a transverse mouth, head length more than 4.5 times in total length, scaleless strip on back hardly visible, and 37-40 lateral line scales (= C. microphthalmum). Sample sizes in this study were small (22 fish) and these characters show considerable variation in larger samples and between fish of different sizes.
Key characters
The arched mouth and and 9-12, usually 10-11, branched dorsal fin rays serve to identify this species.
Morphology
Young fish have a more horseshoe-shaped mouth than larger and older fish where the mouth is a shallow arch, almost straight. The dorsal fin has 3-4 unbranched and 9-12 branched rays, the last unbranched ray of the dorsal fin being variably serrated and thickened. The extent of serrations appears to vary independently of size, from half to three-quarters or more of the spine length. The anal fin has 1-3, usually 3, unbranched and 6-8, usually 7 branched rays. In Iranian specimens, 89.7% of 419 fish had 7 branched anal fin rays, the remainder having 6 branched rays. Pectoral fin branched rays 11-18, usually 15-16, and pelvic fin branched rays 6-9, usually 8. Lateral line scales 31-43. Scales have well-developed anterior radii as well as posterior and some lateral radii. The scale focus is almost central on mid-flank scales. There is a naked median strip on the back in front of the dorsal fin, about one scale wide, in some fish. Some fish may show poor imbrication of scales on the belly and upper anterior flank. Gill rakers 8-18, reaching to or past the adjacent raker when appressed. Total vertebrae 38. Rarely with a tripartite swimbladder, usually bipartite (Mirza, 1971 - for his C. microphthalmum). Pharyngeal teeth 2,3,4-4,3,2 or 2,3,5-5,3,2, with spoon-shaped crowns. The back in front of the dorsal fin is naked in the mid-line. Mouth shape variable, from and arch to a transverse cutting edge. Scales on the belly can be embedded in the skin, obvious or even absent.
Meristics for Iranian specimens:-
|
Locality/Dorsal Fin Rays |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
x |
S.D. |
|
Mashkid |
|
16 |
3 |
|
10.2 |
0.375 |
|
Jaz Murian |
3 |
15 |
5 |
|
10.1 |
0.596 |
|
Lut |
2 |
50 |
4 |
|
10.0 |
0.328 |
|
Makran |
1 |
29 |
3 |
|
10.1 |
0.348 |
|
Hormozgan |
2 |
144 |
124 |
7 |
10.5 |
0.562 |
|
Sirjan |
1 |
3 |
7 |
|
10.5 |
0.688 |
|
Locality/Pelvic Fin Rays |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
x |
S.D. |
|
Mashkid |
|
6 |
13 |
|
7.7 |
0.478 |
|
Jaz Murian |
|
1 |
21 |
1 |
8.0 |
0.302 |
|
Lut |
|
1 |
54 |
|
8.0 |
0.135 |
|
Makran |
|
|
33 |
|
8.0 |
0.000 |
|
Hormozgan |
2 |
31 |
237 |
8 |
7.9 |
0.400 |
|
Sirjan |
|
2 |
9 |
|
7.8 |
0.405 |
|
Locality/Pectoral Fin Rays |
11 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
x |
S.D. |
|
Mashkid |
|
|
|
9 |
10 |
|
|
15.5 |
0.513 |
|
Jaz Murian |
|
|
1 |
8 |
11 |
2 |
1 |
15.7 |
0.864 |
|
Lut |
1 |
|
2 |
14 |
31 |
8 |
|
14.8 |
0.879 |
|
Makran |
|
|
1 |
14 |
15 |
3 |
|
15.6 |
0.704 |
|
Hormozgan |
|
1 |
46 |
111 |
99 |
20 |
1 |
15.3 |
0.863 |
|
Sirjan |
|
|
4 |
4 |
3 |
|
|
14.9 |
0.831 |
|
Locality/Total Gill Rakers |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
x |
S.D. |
|
Mashkid |
|
|
1 |
|
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
13.8 |
1.718 |
|
Jaz Murian |
|
|
3 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
12.0 |
1.492 |
|
Lut |
|
1 |
7 |
8 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
2 |
|
|
|
12.2 |
1.427 |
|
Makran |
|
|
1 |
6 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
|
1 |
1 |
13.0 |
1.794 |
|
Hormozgan |
3 |
7 |
33 |
45 |
64 |
60 |
41 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
|
12.2 |
1.569 |
|
Sirjan |
|
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
12.1 |
1.375 |
|
Locality/Lateral Line Scales |
33 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
x |
S.D. |
|
Mashkid |
|
|
1 |
3 |
9 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
Jaz Murian |
|
|
1 |
9 |
11 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lut |
|
|
5 |
12 |
26 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Makran |
|
|
2 |
1 |
17 |
8 |
4 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Hormozgan |
1 |
2 |
17 |
57 |
99 |
72 |
20 |
7 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sirjan |
|
|
|
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
? vertebrae
The holotype of Cyprinion kirmanense has 10 dorsal fin branched rays, 7 anal fin branched rays, 15 pectoral fin branched rays, 8 pelvic fin branched rays, 37 lateral line scales and 13 total gill rakers (not in above tables).
Sexual dimorphism
Males have snout tubercles and tubercles on the anal fin rays (Regan, 1906; Jenkins, 1910; Berg, 1949). Large tubercles are found on the snout in front of the nostrils, the top of the head, and in rows on the rays of the caudal and anal fin, following the ray branching, in a fish not yet fully mature (40.1 mm standard length). ZMB 11042 (132.6 mm SL) has tubercles thickly present on the snout extending back to the nostrils and then to the eyes, scattered all over the sides of the head, absent on top of the head (may be lost in this old specimen) and large tubercles on anal fin rays near the tip. There is a depression in front of the nostrils in adult males.
Colour
The back and upper flank are dark or copper brown, golden or dark olive, light green-brown or brown-grey, sometimes with bluish or orange tinges, fading to a light or yellowish pink on the lower flanks and belly. The flank scales are silvery and may be outlined in black. Black spots may be present along the flank as may be an orange stripe or a series of 7-9 orange spots above the lateral line anteriorly. The orange colour may be deep, almost red. Occasionally, there may be an orange spot below the lateral line. There may be a vertical orange line over the cleithrum or a spot at its postero-ventral corner. In some fish the whole cleithrum area is red-orange. The operculum, preoperculum and cheek can be iridescent blue. The bases of the pectoral and pelvic fins and part of the operculum may also be pink or orange-coloured. Young have a fine black streak above the lateral line. The dorsal and caudal fins are lead-coloured to black and other fins are pink to yellowish. All the fins except the paired fins may be hyaline. There can be a black caudal base spot, quite marked in some fish, particularly small ones. The peritoneum is black or dark brown.
Size
Attains 23 cm (Zugmayer, 1912).
Distribution
From southeastern Iran east to India. In Iran, it is recorded from the Lut, Hormozgan, Hamun-e Jaz Murian, Mashkid River basins and in the Makran from the Jagin to the Bahu Kalat rivers (Berg, 1949; Spillman, 1972; Bianco and Banarescu, 1982; Abdoli, 2000).
Zoogeography
The occurrence of this species (as C. microphthalmum in Banister and Clarke (1977)) in Oman across the Straits of Hormuz is a result of the 120 m lowered sea level from 100,000 B.P. to 10,000 B.P. The Tigris-Euphrates then ran down the Gulf and presumably provided ready access across it. Banister and Clarke (1977) comment that it is surprising that only one species made the crossing but nothing is known of the climate during this 90,000 year period nor of the composition of the Iranian fish fauna. It may well have been quite impoverished. Hora (1956) describes fish paintings on pots from Nal in Pakistani Baluchistan dating from the third millenium B.C. One of the species not clearly represented is a Cyprinion, now found in that area (not extinct as Banister (1980) would have it). This potentially shows how the ichthyofauna in Southwest Asia can change over relatively short periods of time; the changes over 100,000 years must have been considerable and not readily traceable.
Dorsal fin branched rays have moderately strong modes of 10 for the Mashkid, Jaz Murian, Lut and Makran basins but modes of 10 and/or 11 for Hormozgan and Sirjan, the westernmost basins. C. watsoni may be showing some introgression with Cyprinion species to the west which have higher counts. However, subsamples within the Hormozgan basin do not show a clear pattern of higher modes or means towards the west.
Habitat
Kiabi and Abdoli (2000) found this species to be the commonest and to have the widest range in Hormozgan Province.
Age and growth
Unknown. Esmaeili and Ebrahimi (2006) give a significant length-weight relationship based on 23 Iranian fish measuring 8.34-13.38 cm total length. The a-value was 0.0101 and the b-value 2.952 (a b-value < 3 indicating a fish that becomes less rotund as length increases and a b-value >3 indicating a fish that becomes more rotund as length increases).
Food
Gut contents are primarily herbivorous items including filamentous algae such as Cladophora and Spirogyra, and a wide range of diatoms but some insect material is also found (Mirza, 1969; Farooq et al., 1996).
Reproduction
Spawning takes place in Pakistan at Islamabad from mid- to late March to mid-April (Shaikh and Jalali, 1989, 1991) and near Islamabad (33.3°N, 73.0°E) in April and May (Shaikh and Hafeez, 1993). Gonads begin to develop in December as photoperiod and temperature rise but a continuing warm temperature is the predominant factor for spawning to occur; a fall in temperature halts spawning. Eggs are dark yellow when mature, testes creamy when ripe. Spawning occurs once a year. Up to 150 eggs are recorded in fish from the Ab Garm-e Ganow with a diameter of 1.2 mm.
Parasites and predators
Males were reported as having snout tubercles and tubercles on the anal fin rays (Regan, 1906) but these were the encysted glochidia of a unionid mollusc (B. Prashad in Annandale and Hora (1920). Jalali et al. (1995) describe a new species of monogenean, Dactylogyrus pallicirrus, from fish taken in the Shur River, a Halil River tributary in the Jaz Murian basin. Jalali et al. (2005) summarise the occurrence of Gyrodactylus species in Iran and record Gyrodactylus sp. for fish from the Minab and Halil rivers.
Economic importance
This species is of no economic importance although Butt (1995) suggests that it could be a food source in Pakistan, occurring in shoals of considerable size in rivers that otherwise support little in the form of aquatic protein. It could be cultured as food and as a forage fish. This species has been used to study the effects of heavy metals in Pakistan (Shah, 2002). Higher concentrations of copper and zinc caused lethargy and loss of equilibrium.
Conservation
This species is widely distributed in various basins in southeastern Iran and neighbouring areas and does not appear to under any threat.
Further work
The biology of this species requires study and a thorough review of morphology in relation to named taxa should be carried out.
Sources
Type material: See above and note reservations on type status of some, Cirrhina afghana (BM(NH) 1886.9.21:150-154, BM(NH) 1886.9.21:155-159); Cirrhina afghana var. nikolskii (ZISP 11709); Cyprinion kirmanense (ZISP 11712); Scaphiodon macmahoni (BM(NH) 1905.11.29:27); Scaphiodon microphthalmus (NMW 55897); Scaphiodon muscatensis (BM(NH) 1885.11.7:35-40, BM(NH) 1887.11.11:289-291); Scaphiodon watsoni (FMNH 2303, NMW 51671, NMW 51672 and NMW 51673, ZMB 11042, ZISP 8278, ZISP 8279); Scaphiodon watsoni var. belense (NMW 19833).
Iranian material: CMNFI 1979-0138, 49, ?-66.8 mm standard length, Fars-Hormozgan border, stream in Rasul River drainage (ca. 27º32'N, ca. 54º58'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0143, 22, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, marsh in Hasan Langi River drainage (27º21'N, 56º50'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0144, 76, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Minab River at Minab (27º09'30"N, 57º04'E); CMNFI 1979-0145, 139, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Geru River south of Minab (26º55'N, 57º01'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0149, 54, ?-93.8 mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream north of Bandar Abbas (27º36'N, 56º14'E); CMNFI 1979-0150, 34, 43.8-101.6 mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream at Gohreh (27º45'N, 56º05'E); CMNFI 1979-0152, 10, ? mm standard length, Homozgan, Shur River drainage (28º09'N, 55º43'E); CMNFI 1979-0153, 31 24.5-84.7 mm standard length, Fars, qanat stream and pool at Qaleh-ye Biabani (28º31'N, 54º53'E); CMNFI 1979-0154B, 49, ? mm standard length, Fars, stream channels at Koorsiah (28º45'30"N, 54º24'E); CMNFI 1979-0155, 26, ? mm standard length, Fars, springa t gavanoo (28º47'N, 54º22'E); CMNFI 1979-0156, 12, ? mm standard length, Fars, qanat at Rashidabad (28º47'N, 54º18'E); CMNFI 1979-0167, 25, ? mm standard length, Kerman, qanat at Bam (29º06'N, 58º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0168, 50, ?-93.8 mm standard length, Kerman, qanat at Shahabad (29º07'N, 58º16'E); CMNFI 1979-0173, 15, 26.5-84.0 mm standard length, Hormozgan, qanat at Hajjiabad (28º19'N, 55º54'E); CMNFI 1979-0176, 1, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Sarzeh River (27º30'30"N, 56º15'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0180, 5, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream 3 km east of Essin (27º19'N, 56º17'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0181, 19, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Kul River (27º17'30"N, 56º03'30"E); CMNFI 1979-0183, 14, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream in Rasul River drainage (27º11'30"N, 55º42'E); CMNFI 1979-0185, 4, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream in Rasul River drainage (27º06'N, 55º45'E); CMNFI 1979-0186, 11, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, strean and pools at Sar Khun oasis (ca. 27º24'30"N, ca. 56º25'E); CMNFI 1979-0187, 54, 18.9-73.6 mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream and pools at Sar Khun oasis (27º23'30"N, 56º26'E); CMNFI 1979-0188, 18, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, jube at Gohreh (27º45'N, 56º05'E); CMNFI 1979-0189, 25, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, jube and pool on road to Darab (27º08'30"N, 55º42'E); CMNFI 1979-0190, 44, ?-83.3 mm standard length, Fars-Hormozgan border, spring and pool at Galah Tuyeh (ca. 28º32'N, ca. 55º14'E); CMNFI 1979-0191, 35, 36.6-86.5 mm standard length, Fars, stream 10 km east of Furg (ca. 28º16'N, ca. 55º18'E); CMNFI 1979-0219, 19, 19.1-33.0 mm standard length, Kerman, jube 14 km west of Jiroft (28º37'N, 57º41'E); CMNFI 1979-0220, 4, 28.0-65.5 mm standard length, Kerman, jube 2 km south of Jiroft (28º39'N, 57º43'E); CMNFI 1979-0309, 2, 101.2-108.5 mm standard length, Kerman, Fahraj River at Azizabad (28º57'N, 58º42'E); CMNFI 1979-0310, 1, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Bazman (27º49'N, 60º12'E); CMNFI 1979-0311, 10, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Bampur River at Malakabad (27º11'N, 60º27'E); CMNFI 1979-0312, 39, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, dam on Bampur River (27º11'N, 60º36'E); CMNFI 1979-0313, 68, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Bampur River at Bangharabad (27º20'N, 60º46'E); CMNFI 1979-0314, 10, 25.5-118.4 mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Karavandar (27º50'N, 60º46'E); CMNFI 1979-0315, 71, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Bampur River 2 km north of Karavandar (27º51'N, 60º46'E); CMNFI 1979-0316, 22, 14.5-69.8 mm standard length, Baluchestan, stream 68 km south of Iranshahr (26º48'N, 61º02'E); CMNFI 1979-0317, 11, 16.5-118.6 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Sarbaz River at Bondan (26º35'N, 61º13'E); CMNFI 1979-0318, 11, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Sarbaz River at Huvar (26º09'N, 61º27'E); CMNFI 1979-0323, 6, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Sarbaz River (ca. 26º26'N, ca. 61º16'E); CMNFI 1984-0324, 4, ?39, ?51.9-117.8 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Bampur River at Sa'idabad (27º11'N, 60º22'E); CMNFI 1979-0325, 7, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Espakeh (26º51'N, 60º14'E); CMNFI 1979-0326, 10, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, stream south of Pip (ca. 26º35'N, ca. 60º02'E); CMNFI 1979-0327, 10, 24.0-62.4 mm standard length, Baluchestan, stream in Geh River drainage (26º32'N, 59º57'E); CMNFI 1979-0329, 82, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, stream at Zaminbandan (27º02'N, 61º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0331, 25, 13.1-50.3 mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat in Saravan (27º22'N, 62º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0332, 9, 20.8-33.3 mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Kalapurkan (27º14'N, 62º33'E); CMNFI 1979-0334, 4, 26.3-38.4 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Mashkid River (27º04'N, 62º54'E); CMNFI 1979-0335, 2, 66.8-72.2 mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Esfandak (27º07'N, 62º50'E); CMNFI 1979-0338, 17, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Tahlab River drainage 8 km from Mirjaveh (28º58'N, 61º24'E); CMNFI 1979-0339, 24, 24.5-76.9 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Tahlab River drainage 16 km from Mirjaveh (28º56'30"N, 61º21'E); CMNFI 1979-0411, 8, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Minab River (27º24'N, 57º12'E); CMNFI 1979-0412, 22, 22.0-122.2 mm standard length, Hormozzgan, spring at Saras (27º30'N, 57º34'E); CMNFI 1979-0415, 5, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, stream south of Ab Garm-e Ganow (27º17'30"N, 56º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0416, 2, 40.1-55.9 mm standard length, Hormozgan, Ab Garm-e Ganow (ca. 27º26'N, ca. 56º20'E); CMNFI 1979-0418, 5, 58.2-111.2 mm standard length, Hormozgan, river near Kahkom (28º09'N, 55º43'E); CMNFI 1991-0141, 3, ?, mm standard length, ; see original sheet? CMNFI 2007-0031, 12, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, headwater of Bampur River (27º51'N, 60º46'E); CMNFI 2007-0033, 15, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, Rusgay qanat in Iranshahr (27º13'N, 60º41'E); CMNFI 2007-0034, 3, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, headwater stream on road to Zaboli (ca. 26º58'N, ca. 61º27'E); CMNFI 2007-0036, 8, ? mm standard length, Baluchestan, qanat at Bazman (27º49'N, 60º12'E); CMNFI 2007-0037, 7, 62.4-166.3 mm standard length, Kerman, Hosseinabad and Gamatabad qanats at Bam (29º06'N, 58º21'E); CMNFI 2007-0038, 9, 62.8-101.2 mm standard length, Kerman, Mehtiabad qanat at Bam (29º06'N, 58º21'E); CMNFI ?, 11, 46.5-69.1 mm standard length, ; 44 ? check, Sirjan on data sheet but no fish at this number in catalogue, check shelf CMNFI 2007-0049, 11, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, ditches in upper Kol River basin at Hajjiabad (ca, 28º19'N, ca. 55º55'E); 45 CMNFI 2007-0050, 4, 61.2-92.4 mm standard length, Hormozgan, ditches in upper Kol River basin at Hajjiabad (ca. 28º19'N, ca. 55º55'E); 46 CMNFI 2007-0051, 7, 54.6-84.3 mm standard length, Hormozgan, upper kol River basin at Hajjiabad (28º19'N, 55º55'E); 47 CMNFI 2007-0052, 2, 70.7-92.3 mm standard length, Hormozgan, ditch at Qotbabad (27º46'N, 56º06'E); 48 CMNFI 2007-0055, 15, 24.5-75.3 mm standard length, Hormozgan, headwtaer stream in Minab River basin (ca. 27º47'N, ca. 57º12'E); 51 CMNFI 2007-0056, 14, 30.2-70.4 mm standard length, Kerman, qanat at Kahnuj (27º58'N, 57º45'E); 52 CMNFI 2007-0059, 9, ? mm standard length, Fars, Chashmeh Barashk (ca. 27º24'N, ca. 54º06'E); CMNFI 2007-0060, 3, 56.2-93.7 mm standard length, Fars, Chashmeh Ab-e Shirin near Lar (ca. 27º41'N, ca. 54º17'E); 57ID? BM(NH) 1883.8.2:4-9, 5, 42.4-114.9 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Jalq (27º36'N, 62º42'E); BM(NH) 1883.8.2:20-25, 6, 23.1-85.2 mm standard length, Baluchestan, Sib near Dizak (27º15'N, 62º05'E); NMW uncatalogued, 19, 18.1-52.9 mm standard length, Hormozgan, Ab Garm-e Ganow (ca. 27º26'N, ca. 56º20'E). BWC97-4, ?, ? mm standard length, Kerman, Halil River (no other locality data); no fish on cat sheet? BWC97-5, 1, ? mm standard length, Hormozgan, Hasan Langi River (no other locality data);
Comparative material: CAS 28722, 1, 117.4 mm standard length, India, Punjab, Salt Range, Katas Nallah (no other locality data);
© Brian W. Coad (www.briancoad.com)