Oxynoemacheilus veyseli, a new nemacheilid species from the upper aras river drainage of Turkey (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)

Abstract

A new species of nemacheilid fish, Oxynoemacheilus veyseli sp. n., is described from the upper Aras River drainage, Kars Province, Turkey. The species differs from its congeners in the Caspian Sea basin in the combination of the following characters: flank with a set of mid-lateral elongated, irregular-shaped dark brown blotches, sometimes fused, interrupted by lateral line; dorsum with three or four separated dark-brown roundish to elongated blotches predorsally and postdorsally; a deep and marked suborbital groove and many small unculi on rays of pectoral and dorsal-fin in male; small eye diameter (9.6-13.7 %HL); a short dorsal-fin base (10.1-13.3 %SL); 3-4 lateral and 3 central pores in supratemporal canal; deep body and caudal peduncle (17.3-19.4 and 10.2-11.4 %SL, respectively) and slightly emarginated caudal fin.