Garra elegans (Gunther, 1868)

Garra elegans View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Mesopotamian garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from Garra in Persian Gulf and endorheic basins in Iran by: ● lateral and distal margin of labrum fused with chin skin /○ chest and anterior belly without scales / ○ mid-dorsal area in front of dorsal origin covered by scales / ○ 9+8 branched caudal rays / ○ 17−20 gill rakers / ○ two pairs of normally developed barbels / ○ body brown or grey, usually mottled / ○ eye fully developed. Size up to 87 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Iraq: Lower Lesser Zab and main stem of Tigris.

Habitat View Figure . Large lowland rivers.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC; very poorly known.

Remarks. Distribution very poorly known but thought to occur mainly in lower parts of large rivers. Previously placed in Tylognathus , Hemigarra , or Hemigrammocapoeta . Molecular markers place it close to G. amirhosseini . Garra elegans is usually described as lacking a gular disc, but the disc is fully attached to the chin.

Further reading. Behrens-Chapuis et al. 2015 (molecular phylogeny); Freyhof 2016b (description).