Alburnus sellal, Heckel, 1843

Alburnus sellal View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Shah kuli.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Alburnus in Persian Gulf, Qweiq, Lake Van, and Iranian endorheic basins by: ○ usually 63–83+3 lateral-line scales / ○ 10–25 gill rakers in riverine populations, up to 35 in lake populations / ○ 10–13½ branched anal rays / ○ 11–16 scale rows between dorsal origin and lateral line / ○ 4–7 scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin / ○ head depth at nape 14–16 % SL / ○ postorbital distance 10–12 % SL / ○ anal origin below last branched dorsal ray or behind / ○ ventral keel covered by one or more scales / ○ flank scales without grey margins or irregular set grey pigmentation / ○ a distinct, often bold mid-lateral stripe. Size up to 180 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Qweiq, Euphrates, and Tigris drainages. In endorheic Kor basin in Central Iran, and rivers south to Mond and Dalaki. Introduced to Gölbaşı Lake (Ceyhan drainage) in Türkiye.

Habitat. Lakes, reservoirs, and all types of streams and rivers, from cold upland streams to subtropical rivers. Spawns in current on submerged vegetation or gravel substrate, also on wave-washed lake shores.

Biology. Gregarious. Lives up to 5–6 years, usually matures at 2. Spawns June–August. Feeds on drifting invertebrates, small animals that have fallen to surface, mainly on zooplankton in lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers.

Conservation status. LC; extirpated from Syrian part of Qweiq.

Remarks. The records from Orontes are most likely mislabelled, and this species has not been found here in 20 th and 21 st centuries. Alburnus heckeli , A. mossulensis , A. selcuklui , and A. zagrosensis are synonyms. Alburnus heckeli has been recognised as a separate species, differing in having more gill rakers (28–35 vs. 10–25 in A. sellal ). Populations with high numbers of gill rakers, otherwise indistinguishable from A. sellal , have since been found in other lacustrine environments, including a reservoir. This suggests a rapid adaptation of this character to lentic conditions.

Further reading. Yildirim et al. 2007 (reproduction); Coad 2009b (description of A. zagrosensis ); Coad 2010a (biology); Uçkun et al. 2014 (biology); Elp et al. 2015 (description of A. selcuklui ); Mohammadian-Kalat et al. 2017 ( A. mossulensis ); Freyhof et al. 2018b (phylogeny, A. selcuklui ); Eagderi et al. 2019c ( A. zagrosensis as synonym); Bayçelebi 2020 (introduced record from Gölbaşı); Çiçek et al. 2021 ( A. heckeli ); Coad 2021a (biology, morphology).