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 Acipenser nudiventris Lovetsky, 1828 [N]—Fringebarbel sturgeon Taxonomy. Original description: Acipenser nudiventris Lovetsky, 1828: 78 , pl. 6, fig. 2 [Aral Sea; no types known; original description reproduced in Berg (1905: 2 , footnote)].— Afghanistan synonyms: None.—Revisions: Berg (1948: 66) .—Illustration: Berg (1948: 68 , figs. 55–56). Status in Afghanistan . First record from Afghanistan by Berg (1948: 69) ; confirmed by Coad (1981: 8 ; 2014: 108 ; 2015: 227).—Afghanistan materials: None. Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan : Panj River (Amu Darya River system, into Aral Sea).— General distribution: Eastern Atlantic, Europe and Middle East: Basins of Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral seas and Sea of Marmara.—Habitat: This species is anadromous: juveniles move to the ocean or inland seas; mature specimens migrate back into rivers for spawning, which takes place in strong-current habitats in the main courses of large and deep rivers on stone or gravel bottoms. Freshwater, transitional water, marine. Economic importance. Commercially important. Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan : RE ( Berg 1948 ).—IUCN: Critically endangered (CR) (Freyhof et al. 2022a).—Threats: FIT, HAB, CON.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Regionally exterminated.—High priority for conservation action.