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Co-occurring biodiversity and global heating crises are systemic threats to life on Earth as we know it, especially in relatively rare freshwater ecosystems, such as in Iran. Future changes in the spatial distribution and richness of 131 riverine fish species were investigated at 1481 sites in Iran under optimistic and pessimistic climate heating scenarios for the 2050s and 2080s. We used maximum entropy modeling to predict species' potential distributions by hydrologic unit (HU) occupancy under current and future climate conditions through the use of nine environmental predictor variables. The most important variable determining fish occupancy was HU location, followed by elevation, climate variables, and slope. Thirty-seven species were predicted to decrease their potential habitat occupancy in all future scenarios. The southern Caspian HU faces the highest future species reductions followed by the western Zagros and northwestern Iran. These results can be used by managers to plan conservational strategies to ease the dispersal of species, especially those that are at the greatest risk of extinction or invasion and that are in rivers fragmented by dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-occurring biodiversity and global heating crises are systemic threats to life on Earth as we know it, especially in relatively rare freshwater ecosystems, such as in Iran. Future changes in the spatial distribution and richness of 131 riverine fish species were investigated at 1481 sites in Iran under optimistic and pessimistic climate heating scenarios for the 2050s and 2080s. We used maximum entropy modeling to predict species' potential distributions by hydrologic unit (HU) occupancy under current and future climate conditions through the use of nine environmental predictor variables. The most important variable determining fish occupancy was HU location, followed by elevation, climate variables, and slope. Thirty-seven species were predicted to decrease their potential habitat occupancy in all future scenarios. The southern Caspian HU faces the highest future species reductions followed by the western Zagros and northwestern Iran. These results can be used by managers to plan conservational strategies to ease the dispersal of species, especially those that are at the greatest risk of extinction or invasion and that are in rivers fragmented by dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the specific validity of the Caspian pipefish Syngnathus caspius, we used a comparative molecular species delimitation method on a COI barcode library of Syngnathus, as well as principles of genealogical concordance. Comparative species delimitation allowed us to delineate putative species without a priori assignment of individuals to nominal species, while genealogical concordance extended our species delimitation results to multiple genes, multiple codistributed species, and comparisons with biogeographic evidence. All species delimitation analyses including two topology‐based, one network‐based, and one distance‐based analysis showed genetically isolated lineages of pipefish in the Black and Caspian Sea, corresponding to S. abaster and S. caspius, respectively. Mean evolutionary divergence between the two lineages (0.029) was within the range separating species of Syngnathus (0.024–0.217). The interclade/intraclade ratio of variation was comparable to the operational criterion of divergence between clades greater or equal to 10 × the level within clades to recognize separate species. Our argument on taxonomic validity of S. caspius is also supported by the principles of genealogical concordance as a conceptual basis for recognition of biological species. As a second objective, using a limited number of S. caspius specimens from two semi‐confined water bodies along the Caspian Sea south coastal zone (i.e., Anzali Wetland in the west and Gorgan Bay in the east), we searched for a possible matrilineal structure. The retrieved phylogeographic pattern was characterized by a shallow genealogy and lineage distributions varied, most probably caused by low to modest contemporary gene flow between populations of S. caspius across the southern Caspian Sea that are linked tightly through history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographic pattern, genetic diversity, and historical demography of the endemic loach, Oxynoemacheilus persa, sampled from the endorheic Kor River and exorheic Persis basins in southern Iran, were analyzed using D-loop sequences of mitochondrial DNA. The sequence analysis of 53 specimens detected six haplotypes; all were related closely, yet some were highly localized. Hap_2 with high frequency was restricted to the Persis basin. The ancestral haplotype, Hap_1, was broadly distributed geographically among the Kor River basin populations. The rest of the haplotypes were shared between two populations from the Kor River basin (Hap_4 and Hap_5) or restricted to one of its populations (Hap_3 and Hap_6). AMOVA showed that 42.28% of total variation was related to differences among the basins, while inter- and intra-population differences explained 16.8% and 40.91%, respectively. The Mantel test indicated that the levels of genetic resemblance between populations are moderately dependent on geographic distance (r = 0.669, p = 0.008). All these clues imply that the Kor River and Persis basin populations of O. persa may qualify as two distinct management units. The implication is that contemporary gene flow among these basins has been low enough to have permitted lineage sorting and random drift to promote genetic divergence among these basins that nonetheless were in historical contact recently. The close phylogenetic relationships among other fishes, their previously inferred recent ages of divergence, and the patterns of affinity among them in the Persis and Kor River basins all suggest that these now isolated river systems were interconnected during the Last Glacial Maximum by a Paleo-Kor River and remained so until the sea-level rise of the Early Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular status of nine species of the genus Alburnoides from different river drainages in Iran and additionally by seven species from Europe was assessed. mtDNA COI gene sequences from freshly collected specimens and available NCBI data revealed four major phylogenetic lineages. Based on the results, a distinct taxon from the Cheshmeh Ali (Ali Spring), a Damghan River tributary in the endorheic Dasht-e Kavir basin, northern Iran, which is the closest sister to Alburnoides namaki (Namak Lake basin) + A. coadi (Nam River in the endorheic Dasht-e Kavir basin) is considered as a new species, Alburnoides damghani sp. n. It is distinguished from other Alburnoides species in Iran by a combination of character states including: a weakly-developed, variably-scaled, ventral keel from completely scaleless to completely scaled, a short snout with the tip of the mouth cleft on a level with the lower margin of the pupil or slightly lower, a small eye (eye horizontal diameter slightly to markedly less than interorbital width), commonly 8? branched dorsal-fin rays, commonly 11-12? branched anal-fin rays, 40-46(47) total lateral-line scales, 2.5-4.2 or 2.5-4.1 pharyngeal teeth, gill rakers short and widely spaced, 6-8 in total, 39-41 (commonly 40), total vertebrae, (19)20(21) abdominal vertebrae, 19-21 (most commonly 20) caudal vertebrae, abdominal vertebral region most commonly equal to or longer than caudal region, and most common vertebral formulae 20+20 and 21+19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iranian cave barb (Iranocypris typhlops Bruun & Kaiser, 1944) is a rare and endemic species of the family Cyprinidae known from a single locality in the Zagros Mountains, western Iran. This species is "Vulnerable" according to the IUCN Red List and is one of the top four threatened freshwater fish species in Iran. Yet, the taxonomic position of I. typhlops is uncertain. We examined phylogenetic relationships of this species with other species of the family Cyprinidae based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Our results show that I. typhlops is monophyletic and is sister taxon of a cluster formed by Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843) and Garra barreimiae (Fowler & Steinitz, 1956) within a clade that includes other species of the genus Garra. Based on previous molecular and morphological studies, as well as our new results, we recommend that I. typhlops should be transferred to the genus Garra Hamilton, 1822. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliography on the subject of ichthyology by Donald Evan McAllister is presented which includes the scientific papers "The systematics of the freshwater sculpins of British Columbia," "Records of marine fishes from fresh water in British Columbia," and "List of the marine fishes of Canada."

The article explores the life of Donald Evan McAllister, who was a curator of fishes, researcher and biodiversity specialist from 1958 to 2001 for the National Museum of Canada. It highlights the role of McAllister on the growth of ichthyological research at the National Museum of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature. It mentions the completion of the manuscript "Arctic Marine Fishes of Canada" that will be dedicated to McAllister.

A new killifish species, Aphanius isfahanensis, is described from the Isfahan basin of Iran. It is distinguished from the other Iranian species of Aphanius by adult color pattern, molecular character states of mitochondrial DNA sequence data, and in multivariate morphometric and meristic space. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of molecular sequence data, the new species is hypothesized to be sister taxon to A. sophiae plus A. persicus, which also occur in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a recording of eight species of bigeye, two specimens of short bigeye and the first Canadian record of the glasseye snapper all from the coastal waters of Nova Scotia in the 1990s. Background on bigeyes; Catalogue data; Descriptions of the Canadian specimens.

In April 2010, a Warty Dory, Allocyttus verrucosus (Gilchrist, 1906), was captured during commercial fishing activities in the Labrador Sea. This is the first record for Canada and the northwest Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the current state of an endangered fish specie Cobitis linea a member of the Cobitidae. This species commonly called Sagmahi-ye khardar jonubi or the Southern spined loach is markedly known by its dark brown lateral spots is threatened by water diversions and severely reduced water levels.

We report the collection, and provide a description, of the first Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, in Canadian waters based on a partial skeleton from Country Island, Nova Scotia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the capture of a rare leucistic specimen of the spiny dogfish, squalus acanthias, from the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. Background on the spiny dogfish; Details on the capture of the animal on May 22, 1989 by longliner captain Stewart Taylor; Description and measurements of the specimen.

The article presents information on the endangered fish acanthobrama hadiyahensis found in Saudi Arabia. The fish is found in both a lotic and a spring habitat. However, detailed information is not available on the fish. No threats data were collected since 1977 and 1981, however, water extraction and pollution are general threats to the fish. It says that surveys are needed to determine presence of the species and legislation should also be enacted to protect the fish and its habitats.

The article focuses on Luciobarbus subquincunciatus which is commonly known as abou khazzma, solimani, benekli barbus and leopard barbel. The fish is characterized with quincunx-like pattern of spots and branched dorsal fin rays 8 with branched anal fin rays 5 and lateral line scales from 75 88. It's reproduction period occurs in April to May in shallow gravel beds in Turkish Tigris River which is also found in the basin of Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

The article features the Seminemacheilus tongiorgii Nalbant and Bianco, 1998. The common names are Sagmahi-ye Hormuz (Farsi) and Hormuz loach (E). It can be identified with its furrowed lips and whitish-yellow body with a row of gray blotches present on the dorsum and mid-side of the body. It has eight native species including Petroleuciscus persidis, Cobitis linea, Aphanius sophiae, and Barbatula farsica, which are endemic to Iran.

The article provides information on Paracobitis smithi commonly known as Sagmahi-ye gharzi or blind loach in Kaaje-ru at the Dez River basin in Lorestan Province in Iran. It is the sole eyeless and depigmented balitorid with no scales in which its caudal fin has 14 branched rays. It notes that they are threatened by the collapse of the cave system, reduced water recharge due to human interference, and over collecting. It also states a fine of 100,000 rials is enforced for illegal fishing.

The article presents information on a painting related to the Prophet Johan's story as told in the Bible and the Koran. These holy books narrate an event in which the prophet is swallowed by a whale, a fish, or some mythical sea monster. The painting is slightly less than 48 centimeters wide and is an Islamic miniature. It was painted in Persia ca. 1400. The fish in the painting most closely approximates some kind of carp but its mouth has been enlarged to accommodate the squatting figure, and the opercular opening approaches the eye too closely to make it a recognizable rendition of any particular species.