Cobitis anabelae, Freyhof, Baycelebi & Geiger, 2018

Cobitis anabelae View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Hatay spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Mediterranean basin east of Eşen by: ○ flank pattern well organised in four Gambetta zones / ○ anterior to dorsal origin, blotches in Z2 usually fused into short, irregularly shaped stripes, or forming a mottled band of irregularly shaped, small blotches and spots / ○ Z1 and Z2 usually fused into a mottled band / ○ Z2 with small brown spots, always much smaller than blotches in Z3, much smaller than eye or pupil diameter / ○ Z2 and Z3 well separated / ○ Z4 formed by one series of distinct blotches, fused into a stripe in few individuals / ○ mid-dorsal pigmentation consisting in a series of 7–11 dark-brown, roundish blotches / ○ no pigmentation or very few isolated brown spots below Z4 and on lower caudal–peduncle / ○ interorbital distance 7–11 % HL in male / ○ prepelvic length 53–55 % SL in female / ○ caudal–peduncle length 15–19 % SL in female. Size up to 82 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Türkiye and Syria: Lower Orontes drainage.

Habitat. Streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, usually on sand or fine gravel in slow or moderate fast-flowing waters.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. VU; appears to be declining within its small range.

Remarks. While C. anabelae is found in northern, lower part of Orontes drainage, the upper Orontes is inhabited by the closely related C. levantina . The exact distribution of both species is unknown, and it cannot be excluded that they might form a hybrid zone at the border of their ranges.

Further reading. Freyhof et al. 2018c (description).