Paraschistura nielseni (Nalbant & Bianco, 1998)

Family:  Nemacheilidae (Brook loaches)
Max. size:  5.2 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: Helleh and Mond River drainages in the northern Persian Gulf basin, Iran.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 5-5. Paraschistura nielseni can be diagnosed from its congeners in Iran by a combination of non-unique characters. It differs from P. bampurensis by the presence of a suborbital groove in males (vs. presence of a suborbital flap), 6-11 dark-or pale-brown or grey bars (vs. 11-18), wider than interspaces (vs. usually narrower than interspaces), regularly set and shaped (vs. usually irregularly set and shaped) and a blunt snout (vs. pointed); from P. cristata by the absence of a dorsal adipose crest (vs. presence), the presence of a suborbital groove in males (vs. absence) and an incomplete lateral line (vs. complete); from P. kessleri by having 6-11 dark- or pale-brown or grey, irregularly set and shaped bars (vs. 10-12 bars, regularly shaped and set) and the flank and the back covered by scales (vs. scaleless). The following additional characters are useful to distinguish P. nielseni: a very deep body (body depth at dorsal-fin origin 15-17 % SL); usually dorsal fin with 7 1/2 branched rays; spot at the base of first dorsal-fin rays faint; pelvic fin reaching to about 1-2 eye diameters in front of anus (Ref. 103390).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.