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Checklist of Fishes of the Caspian Sea Basin: Land of Wetlands

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Southern Iraq's Marshes

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 36))

Abstract

Research works on the biodiversity of the Iranian plateau including terrestrial, marine, brackish, and freshwater ecosystems have been steadily increasing over the last few decades, mainly as a result of a growing scientific interest, presence of unique species, introduction of exotic elements, and an increased awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. Being located entirely in the southwest Palaearctic, Iran receives elements from both of Afrotropical and Oriental regions. In addition, due to recent anthropological activities, it receives other faunal elements from the Nearctic and the Neotropical regions. The Caspian Sea which is a part of a highly diverse area of Paratethys basin is the largest lake or inland water body in the world presenting both brackish and fresh water habitats, rivers, lakes, lagoons, marshes, and marine environments presenting a high biodiversity especially fish species. This paper presents a list of fishes in the southern Caspian Sea basin including two wetlands within it and compares some of its fish elements with the Tigris-Euphrates River system. In total, 116 species, belonging to 65 genera and 29 families, are listed here for the southern Caspian Sea basin of Iran. From these, 5 species have not recently been collected. There are 8 endemic and 11 exotic species. The Anzali and Chamkhale Wetlands present 75 (63% of the whole basin species) and 25 (21.5%) species. The Caspian Sea basin is characterized by presence of high diverse fishes of the Ponto-Caspian families, Gobiidae and Leuciscidae, with 20 species each. It is followed by Cyprinidae (12); Clupeidae (8); Acipenseridae and Nemacheilidae (each with 7 species); Xenocyprididae (5 species); Cobitidae, Oxudercidae, and Salmonidae (each with 4 species); and Percidae (3 species). The rest of families present two or one species. Arabibarbus, Carasobarbus, Cyprinion, Garra, and Mesopotamichthys genera which are the main cyprinid fish elements of the Tigris-Euphrates River system, and also aphaniids, cichlids, and mastacembelids, are absent in the Caspian Sea basin.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank F. Zarei for preparing the map and G. Sayyadzadeh, H. Mehraban, F. Zarei, M. Masoudi, Zammaniannejad, R. Khaefi, and Z. Ganjali for helping with fish collections. This study was financially supported by Shiraz University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Lab., Zoology Section, Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Hamid Reza Esmaeili

  2. Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Centre, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran

    Keyvan Abbasi

Authors
  1. Hamid Reza Esmaeili
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  2. Keyvan Abbasi
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Correspondence to Hamid Reza Esmaeili .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand

    Laith A. Jawad

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix 1: Representative Habitats of the Southern Caspian Sea Basin

Fig. 18.4
figure 4

Western parts of the Anzali Wetland

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Fig. 18.5
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Anzali Wetland

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Fig. 18.6
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Outlet region of the Anzali Wetland

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Fig. 18.7
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Chamkhale Wetland

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Fig. 18.8
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Chamkhale River

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Fig. 18.9
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Safid River (Safidrud)

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1.2 Appendix 2: Representative Fish Species in the Southern Caspian Sea Basin. The Order of Appearance of Species Is in Accordance with Table 18.1

Fig. 18.10
figure 10

Rhodeus amarus (Acheilognathinae)

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Fig. 18.11
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Acipenser persicus (Acipenseridae)

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Fig. 18.12
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Anguilla anguilla (Anguillidae)

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Fig. 18.13
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Atherina caspia (Atherinidae)

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Fig. 18.14
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Alosa braschnikowi (Clupeidae)

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Fig. 18.15
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Alosa caspia (Clupeidae)

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Fig. 18.16
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Clupeonella engrauliformis (Clupeidae)

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Fig. 18.17
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Clupeonella grimmi (Clupeidae)

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Fig. 18.18
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Cobitis faridpaki (Cobitidae)

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Fig. 18.19
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Sabanejewia aurata (Cobitidae)

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Fig. 18.20
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Sabanejewia caspia (Cobitidae)

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Fig. 18.21
figure 21

Stenodus leucichthys (Coregonidae)

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Fig. 18.22
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Barbus cyri (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.23
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Capoeta kaput (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.24
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Capoeta razii (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.25
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Carassius gibelio (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.26
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Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.27
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Luciobarbus capito (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.28
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Luciobarbus mursa (Cyprinidae)

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Fig. 18.29
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Esox lucius (Esocidae)

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Fig. 18.30
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Gasterosteus aculeatus (Gasterosteidae)

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Fig. 18.31
figure 31

Pungitius platygaster (Gasterosteidae)

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Fig. 18.32
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Neogobius caspius (Gobiidae)

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Fig. 18.33
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Neogobius pallasi (Gobiidae)

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Fig. 18.34
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Ponticola gorlap (Gobiidae)

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Fig. 18.35
figure 35

Ponticola iranicus (Gobiidae)

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Fig. 18.36
figure 36

Proterorhinus nasalis (Gobiidae)

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Fig. 18.37
figure 37

Pseudorasbora parva (Gobionidae)

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Fig. 18.38
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Abramis brama (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.39
figure 39

Alburnoides tabarestanensis (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.40
figure 40

Alburnus hohenackeri (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.41
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Blicca bjoerkna (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.42
figure 42

Rutilus lacustris (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.43
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Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Leuciscidae)

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Fig. 18.44
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Paracobitis atrakensis (Nemacheilidae)

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Fig. 18.45
figure 45

Paracobitis hircanica (Nemacheilidae)

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Fig. 18.46
figure 46

Rhinogobius lindbergi (Oxudercidae)

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Fig. 18.47
figure 47

Perca fluviatilis (Persidae)

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Fig. 18.48
figure 48

Caspiomyzon wagneri (Petromyzontidae)

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Fig. 18.49
figure 49

Salmo trutta (Salmonidae)

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Fig. 18.50
figure 50

Silurus glanis (Siluridae)

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Fig. 18.51
figure 51

Tinca tinca (Tincidae)

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Fig. 18.52
figure 52

Hemiculter leucisculus (Xenocyprididae)

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Esmaeili, H.R., Abbasi, K. (2021). Checklist of Fishes of the Caspian Sea Basin: Land of Wetlands. In: Jawad, L.A. (eds) Southern Iraq's Marshes. Coastal Research Library, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66238-7_18

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