Oxynoemacheilus hamwii (Krupp & Schneider, 1991)

Oxynoemacheilus hamwii View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Orontes sportive loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Oxynoemacheilus in Cilicia and northern Levant by: ● yellowish triangle at upper and lower posteriormost portions of caudal peduncle / ○ one central, bold-brown blotch or no blotch on caudal base, often an irregularly shaped black bar at caudal base / ○ caudal deeply emarginate with dark-brown bands of elongated blotches / ○ middle caudal ray 64–74 % of length of longest ray in upper caudal lobe / ○ lateral line complete or almost complete terminating behind vertical of anus / ○ flank covered by scales, sparsely set on anterior, densely set on posterior flank / ○ no prominent dorsal crest on caudal peduncle / ○ suborbital groove present in male / ○ flank in juveniles with a midlateral series of horizontally elongate blotches, adults with a brown marbled pattern / ○ caudal–peduncle depth 1.4–1.9 times in its length. Size up to 64 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Orontes drainage in Türkiye and northern Syria (Afrin).

Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing water in streams and rivers with gravel substrate.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; appears to be extirpated in lower Orontes and is declining within its small range.

Remarks. Records of this species from the upper Orontes refer to O. shehabi , and records from the Euphrates and Tigris are misidentifications of other species, most likely O. argyrogramma , O. chaboras , and O. euphraticus .

Further reading. Krupp & Schneider 1991 (description).