Threatened Fishes of the World, Cobitis puncticulata (Erk’akan, Atalay-Ekmekçi & Nalbant, 1998) (Cobitidae)

Abstract

Keywords Cobitis puncticulata.Brownspinedloach.Distribution.WesternAnatoliaCommon name: Brown spined loach (English) Kah-verengi copcu baligi (Turkish). Conservation status:Critically Endangered (IUCN 2009). Identification:Brownish body, consisting only of small dark-greydots through the body and head and blotches of Z2and Z4 (Gambetta 1934) are very small, indistinct orconfluent (Kottelat and Freyhof 2007). A strong keelis present above and below the caudal peduncle.Sexually dimorphic; males have one lamina circularisor scale of Canaestrini in the second pectoral fin ray(Erkakan et al. 1998). Females up to78 mm SL, malesare smaller. Distribution: Apart from the Kocacay andthe Karadere from the Manyas (Kus) Lake drainage(Erk’akan and Ekmekci 2000), recorded from theRiver Evros in Greece (Thrace) and in the UluabatLake catchment in the east of Manyas Lake (Freyhofet al. 2008). In 2005, we found this species inBakacak Stream a tributary of the Kocabas drainage(Marmara Sea) in Canakkale (Ekmekci et al. 2008).Abundance: Recorded as rare by IUCN (Crivelli 2006).Habitat and ecology: Still to moderate flowingstreams, with muddy or sand substrate. Reproduction:No data, only known to spawn in spring. Threats:InTurkey, pollution and flow regulation are the mostimportant threats, with decline of the habitat qualityand further loss of habitat. No threats were recorded inthe lower Evros. Conservation recommendations:Water level change causing habitat loss should becontrolled. Detailed information is required on thepopulation size and biology. Remarks: After recordingC. puncticulata from two new localities, Freyhof et al.(2008) suggested changing the status to “vulnerable”.We have recently extend the range of this species to a