Garra typhlops (Bruun & Kaiser, 1944)

Garra typhlops View in CoL

Common name. Zagros cave garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Persian Gulf and endorheic basins in Iran by: ○ eye reduced and invisible externally / ○ whitish, pink, orange, without colour pattern / ○ body without scales / ○ 9+8 branched caudal rays / ○ 8½ branched dorsal rays / ○ 10−13 gill rakers / ○ gular disc incomplete / ○ two pairs of normally developed barbels. Size up to 64 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Loven spring in Ab-e Sirum (or Ab-e Serum) valley near Tang-e Haft, and springs around Tuveh in Dez system of Karun drainage. Also, in a tunnel of Simareh Dam (now encased). Probably more widespread.

Habitat. Underground waters.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC; as with all subterranean species, its distribution is difficult to understand, and threat levels may be low.

Remarks. A record from Simareh Dam is likely to belong to an undescribed species. Previously placed in a separate genus, Iranocypris . Coexists with the Garra lorestanensis and the cave loach Eidinemacheilus smithi .

Further reading. Bruun & Kaiser 1944 (description); Sargeran et al. 2008 (morphology); Hashemzadeh Segherloo et al. 2012 (molecular data); Farashi et al. 2014 (placement in Garra ); Hamidan et al. 2014; Mousavi-Sabet & Eagderi 2016b (taxonomy); Coad 2021a (biology, morphology).