Garra gallagheri, Krupp, 1988

Garra gallagheri View in CoL View Figure

Common name. Black garra.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Garra in Hajar Mountains by: ○ scales without bold dark-brown or grey margins or scale pockets / ○ flank plain or almost plain, golden-greenish, brown, grey, or black without or with little mottling, a faint dark-green lateral stripe present in some individuals / ○ no orange midlateral scales on flank / ○ no orange spot at upper opercle / ○ tip of dorsal not white / ○ 12–14 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch. Size up to 75 mm SL.

Distribution View Figure . Oman: Wadi Bani Khalid and downstream falaj systems, as in towns of Bani Bu Ali and Al Mudayrib.

Habitat View Figure . Ponds, falaj systems, and springs with fresh or brackish water and rocky bottoms. Usually in stagnant or slow-flowing water. In small pools, juveniles occupy shallow areas, while larger adults are typically found at greater depths near hiding places.

Biology. Feeds on periphyton and detritus but can take other food if readily available.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range. Known from only three populations, two of which are very small and vulnerable to renovation of falaj systems. The main population in Wadi Bani Khalid has experienced a large decline due to restriction of wadi, but is thought to be relatively secure now. Climate change could have a significant impact on this population.

Remarks. Closely related to G. longipinnis , from which molecu- lar characters well separate it, but differences in colour shades are vague and may not always be sufficient to distinguish the two species. Quite variable in colour within Wadi Bani Khalid, but all colour patterns represent the same population.

Further reading. Krupp 1988 (description); Kruckenhauser et al. 2011 (molecular data; as G. barreimiae clade 2); Lyon et al. 2016 (phylogeny); Kirchner et al. 2020 (distribution, identification).