Egirdira nigra (Kosswig & Geldiay, 1952)

Egirdira nigra View Figure

Common name. Egirdira .

Diagnosis. Only species in genus. Size up to 80 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Türkiye: Lake Eğirdir basin, Eflatunpınarı in Lake Beyşehir basin, and Yeşilyurt spring in upper Aksu drainage.

Habitat. Densely vegetated springs and streams. In Lake Eğirdir itself and in lakeshore springs. Spawns in dense vegetation.

Biology. Spawns after first winter. Lives up to 5 years. Individual females usually spawn twice a season, large females 3–4 times. Males with golden nuptial colouration, and dark brown lateral stripe, females mottled brown. Males territorial during spawning. Spawns at night.

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

Remarks. Previously placed in genus Pseudophoxinus and usually known as P. egirdiri , which is a junior synonym of P. nigra . The Eflatunpınarı population has a minimum COI barcode distance of 1.5 % to the Eğirdir population, with no morphological differences. This population has not been observed for more than 15 years, suggesting its possible extirpation.

Further reading. Kosswig & Geldiay 1952 (description as P. nigra ); Küçük et al. 2009b (conservation, distribution); Freyhof 2022 (generic name, identification).