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 Paraschistura cristata ( Berg, 1898 ) [N] Crested loach Taxonomy. Original description: Nemacheilus cristatus Berg 1898: 19 [5], fig. [Tedzhen River near Ashgabat (Askhabad), Turkmenistan ; syntypes : ISBR 996 (2), ZIN 11055 (1), ZMMU P-2555 (59)].— Afghanistan synonyms: Synonym: Nemacheilus cristatus Berg, 1898 ; Noemacheilus cristatus Berg, 1898 ; Schistura cristata ( Berg, 1898 ) ; Metaschistura cristata ( Berg, 1898 ) .—Revisions: Berg (1949: 886) as Nemachilus cristatus . Prokofiev (2009: 893) as Metaschistura cristata , Freyhof et al. (2015: 10) .—Illustration: Berg (1949: 886 , fig. 36) as Nemachilus cristatus , Freyhof et al. (2015 : figs. 6–8). Status in Afghanistan . First record from Afghanistan by Berg (19481949 ) as Nemacheilus ( Paracobitis ) cristatus ; Banarescu and Nalbant (1966) ; confirmed by Coad (1981: 14 ; 2014: 246 as Metaschistura cristata ; 2015: 229).—Afghanistan materials: ZMUC. Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Afghanistan : Tedzhen River, Murgab River, Harirud and Helmand River drainages.—General distribution: Middle East, North Asia and South Asia: Hari River basin ( Iran , Turkmenistan and Afghanistan ).—Habitat: This species occurs in streams with moderately to fast flowing freshwater in both mountainous and lowlands. Freshwater. Economic importance. No commercial importance. Conservation. Conservation status in Afghanistan : Unknown.—IUCN: NE (2023).—Threats: Unknown.— Moderate sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.—Moderate priority for conservation action.