Seminemacheilus, Banarescu & Nalbant, 1995

Seminemacheilus View in CoL

Seminemacheilus comprises six species endemic to Central and southern Anatolia. It is distinguished by a roundish or slightly emarginate caudal, a very stout body, a very long pectoral in male, and no or very few scales. Seminemacheilus is related to Oxynoemacheilus , and some phylogenetic studies place Seminemacheilus as a sister genus to Oxynoemacheilus or nested within the basal clades of that genus. However, the phylogenetic relationships between these taxa remain uncertain, and we treat Seminemacheilus as a distinct genus. Seminemacheilus can be distinguished from similar stout and deep-bodied Oxynoemacheilus species, including O. panthera , O. seyhanensis , and O. frenatus , by the presence of a very long pectoral fin in males that extends beyond the pelvic origin when folded back. Seminemacheilus are stagnophilic loaches that are rarely found in flowing waters. They typically inhabit densely vegetated backwaters, springs, or slow-flowing streams. They exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males being smaller, more slender, and having a longer pectoral fin than females.

Further reading. Yoğurtçuoğlu et al. 2020b (revision).

Key to species of Seminemacheilus

1a - A few deeply embedded scales on caudal peduncle; caudal–peduncle depth 1.3–1.6 times in its length; head length 21–24 % SL. ……………… S. ispartensis

1b - Body scaleless; caudal–peduncle depth 0.9–1.3 times in its length; head length 24–28 % SL. ………………….2

2a - Caudal usually slightly emarginate; one central pore in supratemporal head canal. ……………… S. attalicus

2b - Caudal truncate or roundish; no central pore in supratemporal head canal. ………………….3

3a - Belly usually with many small black or brown blotches; posterior naris reaching to anterior eye margin when folded backwards. ……………… S. ahmeti

3b - Belly plain white or yellowish without small black or brown blotches; posterior naris not reaching to anterior eye margin when folded backwards. ………………….4

4a - Caudal roundish; caudal–peduncle depth 0.9–1.1 times in its length. ……………… S. ekmekciae

4b - Caudal truncate; caudal–peduncle depth 1.1–1.3 times in its length. ………………….5

5a - 5–7 supraorbital head pores; eye diameter 13–14 % HL; snout length 38–40 % HL; prepelvic length 57–59 % SL. ……………… S. lendlii

5b - 2–5 (6) supraorbital pores; eye diameter 14–17 % HL; snout length 35–37 % HL; prepelvic length 53–56 % SL. ……………… S. tubae