Fahrettin Küçük

Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Aphanius (Pisces, Cyprinodontiformes) species complex of central Anatolia, Turkey

Phylogenetic relationships of a subset of Aphanius fish comprising central Anatolia, Turkey, are investigated to test the hypothesis of geographic speciation driven by early Pliocene orogenic events in spite of morphological similarity. We use 3434 aligned base pairs of mitochondrial DNA from 42 samples representing 36 populations of three species and six outgroup species to test this hypothesis. Genes analyzed include those encoding the 12S and 16S ribosomal RNAs; transfer RNAs coding for valine, leucine, isoleucine, glutamine, methionine, tryptophan, alanine, asparagine, cysteine, and tyrosine; and complete NADH dehydrogenase subunits I and II. Distance based minimum evolution and maximum-likelihood analyses identify six well-supported clades consisting of Aphanius danfordii, Aphanius sp. aff danfordii, and four clades of Aphanius anatoliae. Parsimony analysis results in 462 equally parsimonious trees, all of which contain the six well supported clades identified in the other analyses. Our phylogenetic results are supported by hybridization studies (Villwock, 1964), and by the geological history of Anatolia. Phylogenetic relationships among the six clades are only weakly supported, however, and differ among analytical methods. We therefore test and subsequently reject the hypothesis of simultaneous diversification among the six central Anatolian clades. However, our analyses do not identify any internodes that are significantly better supported than expected by chance alone. Therefore, although bifurcating branching order is hypothesized to underlie this radiation, the exact branching order is difficult to estimate with confidence.

Capoeta mauricii n. sp., a new species of cyprinid fish from Lake Beyşehir, Turkey

Abstract Capoeta mauricii n. sp. is described from the Lake Beyşehir drainage, in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is distinguished from other Anatolian Capoeta by having the lips somewhat fleshy and lower lip with developed lateral lobes; a few irregular small black spots on the dorsal and lateral body, dorsal and caudal fins in individuals approximately smaller than 170 mm SL, and body, head and fins plain and without black spots in larger individuals (SL>200 mm); 80–87 total lateral line scales, 18–22 scales between dorsal fin origin and lateral line, 11–14 scales between the anal-fin origin and the lateral line, 16–18 gill rakers on outer side of first gill arch, and small black spots on head, body, and fins.

A new Pseudophoxinus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) species from Asi River Drainage (Turkey).

Abstract Pseudophoxinus turani sp. n. is described from the İncesu Spring (Hassa-Hatay) drainage of Asi River, Turkey. It is distinguished from other Eastern Mediterranean Region Pseudophoxinus species by a combination of characters: lateral line incomplete, with 12–25 (commonly 16–21) perforated scales and 38–46+2-3 scales in lateral series (commonly 41–44+2-3); 10–11 scale rows between the lateral line and dorsal-fin origin; 3–4 scale rows between the lateral line and the pelvic–fin origin; dorsal fin with 7½ branched rays; anal fin commonly with 7½ branched rays; 8-11gill rakers on the first branchial arch; dorsal profile markedly convex with marked hump at the nape, ventral profile less convex than dorsal profile; a small, irregular, black blotch on the base of the caudal fin; mouth terminal, with slightly distinct chin, its corner not reaching vertical through anterior margin of eye; snout somewhat long, with rounded tip; and its length greater than eye diameter.

A new Pseudophoxinus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) species from Southwestern Anatolia, with remarks on the distribution of the genus in western Anatolia

Abstract Pseudophoxinus burduricus sp. n. is described from drainages of Salda and Burdur lakes, southwestern Turkey. It is distinguished from other Anatolian Pseudophoxinus by a combination of characters: lateral line incomplete, with 21–39 (commonly 26–37) perforated scales and 47–57+1-2 scales in lateral series; 10½–12½ scale rows between lateral line and dorsal fin origin, 3–4(5) scale rows between lateral line and the pelvic fin origin; dorsal fin commonly with 7½ branched rays; anal fin commonly with 6½ branched rays; 7–8(9) gill rakers on the first branchial arch; a faint and diffuse epidermal black stripe from eye to caudal fin base in alive and preserved individuals; mouth slightly subterminal, tip of mouth cleft on about level of lower margin of eye; snout rounded, its length greater than eye diameter. Comparison is given with all Pseudophoxinus species from western Anatolia.

A new species of Pseudophoxinus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Southwestern Anatolia, Turkey.

Pseudophoxinus mehmeti, new cyprinid species from the Alanköy basin in south-western Turkey, is distinguished from all species of Pseudophoxinus in adjacent regions by the combination of the following characters: body slender, its length 1.3-1.5 times its depth; caudal peduncle length 1.6-2.0 times its depth; mouth almost superior, with the tip of the mouth-cleft approximately level with the middle of the pupil; snout with a pointed tip, its length markedly greater than eye diameter; lateral line not complete, with 30-50 perforated scales and 48-60+2 scale rows in lateral series; 11½-13½ scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 3½-5½ scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin; dorsal-fin with 6½-7½ branched rays; anal-fin with 6½-7½ branched rays; a distinct black epidermal stripe from eye to caudal-fin base in preserved individuals.

Description of a new species of Hemigrammocapoeta (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Lake Işıklı, Turkey

Hemigrammocapoeta menderesensis is distinguished from all other species of Hemigrammocapoeta in Anatolia by the following combination of characters (none unique to the species): lateral line incomplete; 6-17 perforated scales and 36-41 +1-2 scales in lateral series; 7½-8½ scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 3-4 scale rows between lateral series and anal-fin origin; dorsal fin commonly with 7½ branched rays; anal fin with 5½ branched rays; 15-17 gill rakers on the first brachial arch; pharyngeal teeth 2.4.5-5.3.3; mouth small, subterminal, horseshoe shaped and without barbel; lips developed and somewhat fleshy; upper lip not covering nostril gape; lower lip with two lateral lobes and median pad; lateral lobes smaller and shorter than half width of median pad; numerous papillae on lower and upper lips.

A new Chondrostoma species from the Büyük Menderes River Basin, Turkey (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

In a study of the fishes of the Büyük Menderes River Basin, Aegean region of Turkey, two populations of Chondrostoma were found which showed clearly distinctive characters: the population from the Upper B. Menderes (Işıklı Lake) was attributed to C. meandrense Elvira, 1987, while the population from the Çine Stream in the Lower B. Menderes River basin proved to be a hitherto undescribed species: Chondrostoma turnai sp. n. Altogether 24 metric and 7 meristic parameters were compared. The new species is distinguished from C. meandrense and all other cogeners by a combination of the number of lateral line scales, the number of scale rows between the lateral line and the dorsal-fin origin, the number of scale rows of the lateral line and pelvic-fin origin, and the number of gill rakers on the first gill arch. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:811C213D-BEDD-4C8C-AE57-BFFA7964781A

The Ichthyofauna of Gediz River (Turkey): Taxonomic and Zoogeographic Features

Aims: This study was carried out to determine the fish fauna in the Gediz River and by comparing the fish fauna with that of neighboring basins from a zoogeographical point of view. Place and Duration of Study: In order to establish the taxonomic and zoogeographic features of the fish fauna of the Gediz River Basin (Turkey), fish samples were collected using elektrofishing equipment gill nets trammel nets, seine nets and cast nets from June 2010 to July 2012. Methodology: The fish were collected using electrofishing equipment, gill nets (mesh size of 9x9 mm and 12x12 mm), trammel nets (various mesh seize), seine nets (2 mm) and cast nets. The samples were fixed and preserved in a 4% formalin solution. Meristic characters such as number of gill rakers, pharyngeal teeth, dorsal and anal fin rays, total lateral line scales were counted under a stereomicroscope. The last two branched dorsal and anal fin rays are counted “1/2”. The number of vertebrae in the Cyprinidae and Nemacheilidae was determined by radiography. Results: Among the samples, 19 (Anguillidae (1), Cyprinidae (10), Siluridae (1), Nemacheilidae (1), Cobitidae (2), Poeciliidae (1), Gobiidae (1), Percidae (1) and Salmonidae (1)) species belonging to 9 families were identified. Determination of the species; Alburnus battalgilae, Barbus pergamonensis, Luciobarbus lydianus, Capoeta bergamae, Squalius fellowesii, Chondrostoma Original Research Article Guclu and Kucuk; ARRB, 6(3): 202-214, 2015; Article no.ARRB.2015.079 203 holmwoodii, Ladigesocypris mermere, Cobitis kurui, Cobitis fahireae, Oxynoemacheilus simavicus and Knipowtischia mermere are endemic; Gambusia holbrooki and Oncorhynchus mykiss are nonnative species. Conclusion: As a result, in the Gediz River where there were 19 fish taxa, 44% of taxa were endemic. The endemic species on the basis of the IUCN criteria must be especially protected.