Descriptive osteology of Paracobitis persa Freyhof, Esmaeili, Sayyadzadeh & Geiger, 2014, an endemic species from Kor River basin of Iran

Abstract

This study was carried out to provide a detailed osteological structure of the newly described crested loach, Paracobitis persa. For this purpose, ten specimens were collected from the Malsosjan spring, in the Kor River basin and fixed in 5% buffered formalin. After clearing and staining, their skeletal structure was examined. The results were compared to the other members of the family Nemacheilidae particularly P. hyrcanica and P. iranica. Based on the results, P. persa can be distinguished from other members of this family by a combination of characters, including having lacking sesamoid ossifications, having six hypurals, a triangular-shaped lateral ethmoid with pointed ends, alveolar bony capsule, no contact between retroarticular and dental, lack of the pre-ethmoid-I and basibrancial-4.

Keywords

• Skeleton
• loach
• Endorheic Kor basin
• Iran
• Iran

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