Is Garra rezai (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) a species known only from two widely disjunct areas in the Tigris drainage? Author Kaya, Cueneyt https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4531-798X Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Fisheries, Rize, Turkiye cuneyt.kaya@erdogan.edu.tr Author Imre, Haydar Birol https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7049-6644 Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Fisheries, Rize, Turkiye Author Kurtul, Irmak https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3566-9172 Marine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, Izmir, Turkiye & Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, UK text Zoosystematics and Evolution 2024 2024-03-27 100 2 349 356 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.118766 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.118766 1860-0743-2-349 BFB5D65B79BA40918C8DE3EF568E4890 7B766731119553B68C177F889BF81CBC Garra rezai Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Saemi-Komsari, Kaya & Freyhof, 2022 Fig. 3 Common names. Tigris garra. Diagnosis. Garra rezai is distinguished from all the species of Garra in adjacent waters in having a combination of the following characters: Breast with embedded scales, predorsal mid-line covered by (12)13-18(19-21) scales, gular disc short and wide, 35-40 total lateral-line scales, 51/2 (rarely 41/2 and 61/2 ) transverse scale rows between lateral line and dorsal origin, 31/2-41/2 transverse scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin, 15-18 circumpeduncular scales, axillary scale at pelvic origin large, 11-16 total gill rakers, usually 71/2 branched dorsal rays, eye fully developed. Distribution in Tuerkiye . Known only from Kaynarca Stream (Murat drainage) in Euphrates. In Tigris; Yanarsu, Botan, Menfez, Hezil and Batman drainages, as well as from Aktoprak Stream, an uppermost drainage of Tigris River. IUCN Status. Not Evaluated. The results of this study revealed that G. rezai is distributed in at least seven different drainage areas in Tuerkiye . Although G. rezai is known from only one locality in Iran outside Tuerkiye , we expected it to inhabit also other localities in Iran, Iraq and possibly Syria. In summary, this species occurs in various drainage areas and, in general, its populations appear to be in good condition; its IUCN status is suggested to be Least Concern. Intermediate specimens Amongst all 73 lots, we had difficulty in identifying only five samples from the Aktoprak Stream station (FFR1821, n = 23). A total 18 of these samples were easily recognised as G. rezai with 12(3), 13(3), 14(2), 15(5), 17(4), 20(1) PreDs and 71/2 (16), 81/2 (2) DFR ranges. However, five individuals (later moved to another lot with a new collection code: FFR 4062) with 9(1), 11(3), 17(1) PreDs and 71/2 (2), 81/2 (3) DFR ranges did not match either G. rufa or G. rezai and the values were grouped between the two species. Although GRs were analysed for control, these individuals did not match either species. The most notable example was an individual with 17 PreDs and 81/2 DFR, which was expected to be G. rezai ; however, it moved the individual closer to G. rufa with 20 GR (GR range of G. rufa is 20-29). Therefore, here we identified these five individuals as Garra sp. (Fig. 4 ). We encourage researchers to further study these populations, especially using molecular markers. Figure 4. Some intermediate specimens: FFR 4062, Aktoprak Stream, upper Tigris drainage, from the top, 65 mm SL, 67 mm SL, 69 mm SL, 71 mm SL.