Freshwater fishes of Iraq: a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023 Author Çiçek, Erdoğan Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Nevşehir Hacı BektaşVeli University, Nevşehir, Türkiye Author Jawad, Laith School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand Author Eagderi, Soheil Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Author Esmaeili, Hamid Reza Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Author Mouludi-Saleh, Atta Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Author Sungur, Sevil Health Services Vocational School, Nevşehir Hacı BektaşVeli University, Nevşehir, Türkiye Author Fricke, Ronald Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany text Zootaxa 2023 2023-10-17 5357 1 1 49 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5357.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5357.1.1 1175-5326 10012543 7CDE221A-1E73-416D-A984-23E64D9451A6 Cobitis avicennae Mousavi-Sabet, Vatandoust, Esmaeili, Geiger & Freyhof, 2015 [N]—Zagros spined loach Taxonomy. Original description: Cobitis avicennae Mousavi-Sabet, Vatandoust, Esmaeili, Geiger & Freyhof, 2015: 562 , figs. 3–7 [ Hamedan Province , Gamasiab River at Dehno, a tributary to Karkheh, 34°10’15”N , 48°21’19”E , altitude 1610 meters, Iran ; holotype : GUIC CC1462MA].— Iraq synonyms: None.—Revisions: None.—Illustration: Mousavi-Sabet et al . (2015: 562 , figs. 3–7). Status in Iraq . First record from Iraq by Freyhof et al . (2021).—Iraq materials: None. Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Iraq : The Little Zab River in Iraqi Kurdistan .—General distribution: Middle East: Lower Tigris River drainage ( Iran ) and possibly Kurdistan ( Iraq ).—Habitat: This species lives in streams and lakes with clear water and bottoms with sand or fine gravel. Freshwater. Economic importance. No commercial importance. Conservation. Conservation status in Iraq : Unknown.—IUCN: NE (2023).—Threats: Unknown.—High sensitivity to human activities.—Keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.—High priority for conservation action.