Pseudophoxinus galilaeus, Goren & Feldstein-Farkash, 2025

Pseudophoxinus galilaeus sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4

Phoxinellus kervillei View in CoL (non Pellegrin, 1911) Tortonese 1938; Steinitz 1951, 1953, 1954.

Pseudophoxinus [sic] kervillei View in CoL (non Pellegrin, 1911) Goren 1975, 1983; Ben Tuvia 1978; Krupp and Schneider 1989; Goren and Ortal 1999; Gasith et al. 2000; Ostrovsky et al. 2014; Tadmor-Levi et al. 2022; Tadmor-Levi et al. 2023; Çiçek et al. 2023.

Phoxinellus zeregi View in CoL (non Heckel, 1843) Lortet 1883.

Material examined.

Holotype. • SMNHTAU-P.17856 , TL: 82.0 mm, SL 69.6 mm, collected in Dan River , 15 September 1988 by M. Goren (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ) . Paratypes: • SMNHTAU-P.10667 , 5 specimens, TL: 38.8–82.3 mm, SL: 31.3–69.5 mm, same data as for holotype . • SMNHTAU-P.242 , 3 specimens, TL: 78.8–94 mm, SL: 63.2–75.6 mm. Collected at Hula Lake , 7 August 1954, (probably by H. Mendelssohn) . The Lake drained during 1954–1958 (southwestern part kept as a nature reserve).

Additional material.

• SMNHTAU- P.3021 , 108 specimens, TL: 25.6 mm – 43.2 mm, SL: 21.0– 75.6 mm, collected by M. Goren, Ein Einan (tributary to Hula Nature Reserve), 12 June 1968 ; • SMNHTAU-P.7540 13 specimens, TL: 25.6–43.2 mm, SL: 21.0– 75.6 mm, collected by M. Goren, Dan River 6 September 1979 ; • SMNHTAU-P.11568 33 specimens, TL: 40.5–51.0 mm, SL: 32.7–41.5 mm, collected by D. Hisdai Meshushim River (tributary of Lake Kinneret) March 1988 ; • SMNHTAU-P.3027 , 4 specimens, TL: 43.5–47.7 mm, SL: 34.9–38.6 mm, collected by M. Goren, Hula Nature Reserve , 20 October 1968 ; • SMNHTAU-P.13300 , 3 specimens, TL: 48–54 mm, SL: 40–46 mm Hula Nature Reserve , 28 November, 2007 ; BMNH 1968.12 . 13.343–350, 8 specimens TL: 36–44 mm, SL: 29–35 mm, Charka spring ( West side of Ghab, connects to Orontes River, Syria), 27 November 1957 .

Samples used for phylogenetic analysis.

• SMNHTAU-P.15771 , TL 60 mm, SL 50.1 mm, collected by E. Elron, Einot Gonen, 16 May, 2015. • SMNHTAU-P.15826 , TL 70 mm, SL 59 mm, collected by E. Elaron, Agmon Ha’Hula, 14 July, 2015. • SMNHTAU-P.15800 , TL 47 mm, SL 38 mm, collected by E. Elron, Dan River, 21 July 2015. • SMNHTAU-P.14406 , TL 41 mm, SL 33 mm, collected by M / Goren at the mouth of Daliyot River, 9 December 2011. • SMNHTAU-P.14428 , TL 79 mm, SL 67 mm, collected by M. Goren, Meshushim River, 9 December 2011. • SMNHTAU-P.14421 TL 54 mm, SL 46 mm, collected by M. Goren, Meshushim River, 9 December 2011. The samples used for phylogenetic analysis were the same as those analyzed in the study by Tadmor-Levi et al. (2023).

Diagnosis.

A species of Pseudophoxinus , characterized by 39–44 longitudinal scale series along the body, 13–17 pored lateral line scales, 20–23 predorsal scales, 4–5 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (with 2–3 rudimentary rakers at the rear) and 30–32 vertebrae.

Description.

A small fish, rarely exceeding 9.0 cm in length ( TL). The lateral line is incomplete and never extends to a vertical line from the anus.

Fins: The front of the dorsal fin is behind a vertical line from the base of the pelvic fin; The front of the anal fin is behind the rear end of the dorsal-fin base. Dorsal fin with 7–9 segmented rays. Anal fin with 7–8 segmented rays. Pectoral fin with 13–14 segmented rays. Pelvic fins with 7 segmented rays ( 6 in a single examined specimen); Caudal fin Forked, with 20–24 segmented rays. The shortest caudal ray (mid-ray) is approximately half the length of the longest ray.

Scales: The body is covered with cycloid scales, while the head is naked. Longitudinal scale series: 39–44; Transversal scale series: 13–15 (counted from the insertion of the dorsal fin backward); Predorsal scales: 20–23; Pored lateral line scales: 13–17; In some specimens, 2–3 unpored scales interrupt the curve of the pored lateral line scales.

Vertebrae: The total number of vertebrae is 30–32 (with the first vertebra bearing a neural spine counted as the third vertebra). Dorsal fin originates above vertebrae 10 or 11, while the anal fin originates below vertebrae 19 to 21 (vertebral count data from Goren 1969).

Pharyngeal teeth: 4–5.

Gill rakers on lower limb: 4–5, the 2–3 rear are rudimentary.

Nostrils: The posterior nostril is an oval pore located above the front of the eye. The anterior nostril has a short tubular pore (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Cephalic sensory system: The lateral line canal extends from the pored scales to the upper margin of the operculum, then curves around the lower margin of the eye to the snout. A branch of this canal is located on the back of the head, just in front of the predorsal scales. A second canal runs from the upper margin of the preoperculum to the lower jaw, extending slightly before the tip of the jaw (Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ).

Additionally, two pored canals run across the top of the head, extending from above the first nasal pore through the interorbital space to the back of the head.

Meristic counts and body proportions of the holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 1 View Table 1 . Additional data from non-type examined specimens are provided in the Suppl. material 3.

Coloration (live specimen). The body is silvery-matte with a distinct dark band running along the mid- body, from the upper margin of the operculum to the middle of the caudal base, where it ends in a dark blotch. The fins are transparent with fine dark pigmentation.

Habitat.

Pseudophoxinus galilaeus sp. nov. inhabits slow-moving streams or still waters among stones and aquatic plants. In fast-flowing streams, it seeks shelter near small natural dams, among stones, or within tree roots. Its distribution includes the upper Jordan Basin, ranging from the Dan and Snir Rivers to Lake Kinneret ( Goren 1975; Krotman 2004).

Phylogenetic analysis of Pseudophoxinus species from the Levant

In this study, we expanded the phylogenetic analysis to include additional Pseudophoxinus species from the Levant that were not included in Tadmor-Levi et al. (2023). The phylogenetic relationships among Pseudophoxinus species are presented in Fig. 5 View Figure 5 . The genetic distances between the newly identified species and other examined species are shown in Table 2 View Table 2 . In this analysis, the lowest genetic divergence calculated was 7 % between P. galilaeus and the P. syriacus / P. drusensis complex.