Fishes of Afghanistan; a revised and updated annotated checklist Author Çiçek, Erdoğan Author Fricke, Ronald 0000-0003-1476-6990 Author Eagderi, Soheil 0000-0002-1134-0356 Author Sungur, Sevil 0000-0003-4018-6375 Author Coad, Brian W 0000-0002-7232-961X Author Hamdard, Mohammad Hamid 0000-0002-5915-6574 erdogancicek@nevsehir.edu.tr text Zootaxa 2023 2023-06-16 5305 1 1 69 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5305.1.1 journal article 56221 10.11646/zootaxa.5305.1.1 c640363c-14f9-4912-8a38-2948ab4946f1 1175-5326 8048564 55EB7903-BB1A-45F9-9660-16DAF957C67A Luciobarbus brachycephalus ( Kessler, 1872 ) [N]—Aral barbel Taxonomy. Original description: Barbus brachycephalus Kessler, 1872: 52 [8], pl. 7, figs. 9–11 [Syr-Darya River, central Asia; syntypes : NMW 53971-73 (1, 2, 1); ZIN 5759 (1, not found in 2000), 5878 (1, not found in 1996 or 2000)].— Afghanistan synonyms: Barbus obtusirostris Yakovlev, 1870 ; Barbus platyrostris Kessler, 1874 .— Revisions: Berg (1949: 702) as Barbus brachycephalus .—Illustration: Berg (1949: 703–704 , figs. 457–459) as Barbus brachycephalus . Status in Afghanistan . First record from Afghanistan by Berg (1949: 705) as Barbus brachycephalus ; confirmed by Maksumov (1971), Coad (1981: 9 ; 2014: 184 ; 2015: 228).—Afghanistan materials: None. Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan : Amu Darya, Panj River.—General distribution: Aral Sea and western and southern Caspian Sea basins.—Habitat: This species lives in deep stretches with gravel or stone bottoms. Spawns in fast-flowing water at sites with a hard bottom, 1–2 m deep. Semi-anadromous and riverine populations. Anadromous, freshwater, brackish, marine. Economic importance. Commercially important. Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan : Unknown.—IUCN: VU ( Freyhof & Kottelat 2008a ).—Threats: FIT, CON, ABS.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Decreasing.— High priority for conservation action.