Garra rossica (Nikolskii, 1900)

Garra rossica View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Afghan garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Persian Gulf and endorheic basins in Iran by: ○ one or two pairs of barbels; if two pairs, rostral barbel very small, sometimes just tubercle / ○ gular disc small / ○ chest, belly, and predorsal midline fully covered by scales / ○ 5½–6½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and dorsal origin / ○ 4½–5½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin / ○ an axillary scale at pelvic origin / ○ 13−16 gill rakers / ○ 7½ branched dorsal rays / ○ lateral and distal margin of labrum of gular disc free from skin of chin / ○ body brown or grey, usually mottled / ○ eye fully developed. Size up to 95 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Hari, Morghab, Bejestan, Sistan, Mashkid, and Jazmurian basins and Makran region in Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. North-western Baluchistan west of Central Brahui, Mashkid basin, and Kharan-Makran areas in Pakistan.

Habitat View Figure . Springs, slow-flowing streams, canals, and various artificial habitats.

Biology. Mature at 2–3 years. Feeds on algae and detritus.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Garra phryne from Sistan in Iran is a synonym. Garra rossica and G. nudiventris are very closely related and may be accepted as conspecifics in future.

Further reading. Nikolskii 1900 (description); Esmaeili et al. 2016c (discussion on G. nudiventris ); Mousavi-Sabet et al. 2019a (distribution); Coad 2021a (biology, morphology).