Cobitis sipahilerae, Erk'akan, Ozdemir & Ozeren, 2017

Cobitis sipahilerae View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Kırkgöz spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Mediterranean basin east of Eşen and endorheic basins in Central Anatolia by: ● back plain cream-brown, few individuals with 1–3 narrow, squarish, brown bars / ○ two laminae circularis in male / ○ black spot present at upper caudal base, often very small and best seen in life individuals. Size up to 90 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Türkiye: Düden and Kırkgöz springs and outflowing stream Yediarıklar.

Habitat. Springs and spring-fed streams, usually on sand or fine gravel in slow or moderate fast-flowing waters.

Biology. No data.

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

Remarks. Cobitis sipahilerae is one of four freshwater fish species native to the Kırkgöz-Yediarıklar drainage and the adjacent Düden spring in Antalya. Others are Pseudophoxinus antalyae , Paraphanius mentoides , and Seminemacheilus attalicus . All four species are endemic to this small drainage system. The occurrence of four endemic species (the native fish fauna is comprised exclusively of strict endemic species) makes the Düden-Kırkgöz-Yediarıklar drainage a site of major importance for conservation.

Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 2017 (description); Freyhof et al. 2018c (description).