Wednesday, September 2, 2020

[Ichthyology • 2020] Paracobitis salihae • The Westernmost known Population of Paracobitis (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae), with the Description of A New Species from the Euphrates River in southern Anatolia


Paracobitis salihae 
 Kaya, Turann, Kalayci, Bayçelebi & Freyhof, 2020


Abstract
Paracobitis salihae, new species, from the Göksu River in the western upper Euphrates drainage, is distinguished from other Paracobitis species by possessing a truncate caudal-fin, and a dark-brown vermiculate or marbled colour pattern. It is also characterised by 19 variable nucleotide substitutions, three diagnostic nucleotides and 3.6% minimum K2P distance compared to geographically adjacent and related P. zabgawraensis. Paracobitis salihae might be Critically Endangered and is threatened by dam constructions.

Keywords: Pisces, Freshwater fish, Taxonomy, Cytochrome oxidase I, Turkey


 Paracobitis salihae, FFR 3657, holotype, 66 mm SL; Turkey: Göksu River.


Paracobitis salihae, new species

  
Distribution. Only known from the Göksu River, a tributary of the upper Euphrates (Figs. 5–6). 

Etymology. Paracobitis salihae is named in honour of the Saliha Kaya (1939-2015), mother of the first author. A noun in the genitive, indeclinable.


Cüneyt Kaya, Davut Turann, Gökhan Kalayci, Esra Bayçelebi and Jörg Freyhof. 2020. The Westernmost known Population of Paracobitis (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae), with the Description of A New Species from the Euphrates River in southern Anatolia. Zootaxa. 4838(4); 525–534. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4838.4.6