The Tigris–Euphrates river system is a large river system in Western Asia that discharges into the Persian Gulf. Its principal rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates, along with smaller tributaries.
Isfahan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Isfahan. The province is in the center of the country in Iran's Region 2, whose secretariat is located in Isfahan.
The red garra, also known as the doctor fish or nibble fish, is a species of cyprinid that is native to a wide range of freshwater habitats in subtropical parts of Western Asia. This small fish typically is up to about 14 centimeters in total length, but locally individuals can reach as much as 24 cm (9.5 in).
The Spanish toothcarp, also known as the Spanish toothcarp or Iberian killifish, is a small, endemic species of fish in the family Aphaniidae. Its risk of extinction is one of the greatest of any Iberian vertebrate. Its limited range, coupled with the drastic population decline the species has suffered in the last two decades, has caused it to be placed on endangered species lists, both in Spain and internationally. In addition, habitat fragmentation, likely due to humans, has resulted in this species becoming increasingly stagnant and has led to increased genetic drift. Also found to be contributing to their endangerment was genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA. The mitochondrial DNA coupled with A. iberus’s geographic distribution has been able to affect their population genetic structure gradually in different spaces. Its conservation status in the south of the Iberian peninsula has notably worsened.
Anatolichthys anatoliae, the Anatolian giant killifish or Lake Tuz toothcarp, is a species of fish in the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to Turkey. It is known from freshwater springs and streams around Lake Tuz, as well as from the Lake Beyşehir basin and from Konya eastward to Niğde. It lives in clear, well-oxygenated running freshwaters. It is threatened by water abstraction and the drying out of streams and springs. It is also impacted by the introduction of Gambusia species.
Lake Bakhtegan was a salt lake in Fars Province, southern Iran, about 160 km (99 mi) east of Shiraz and 15 km (9.3 mi) west of the town of Neyriz.
Esmaeilius vladykovi is a species of killifish in the family Aphaniidae endemic to a restricted area of the central Zagros Mountains of Iran. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. Its specific name honours the zoologist Vadim D. Vladykov (1898-1986) who studied the fishes of the Caspian basin and the person who accepted the species author, Brian W. Coad, as a graduate student.
Capoeta aculeata is a cyprinid fish endemic to Iran. It is close to Capoeta capoeta and has sometimes been considered either synonymous with it or a subspecies Capoeta capoeta aculeata. However, Coad & Krupp concluded, on morphological grounds, that it deserves to be a valid species. This species has been reported from several water bodies in Iran, including Armand River, Kaaj River, Chaghakhor Laggon, Gandoman Lagoon, Gizehrud River, Na’in, Kor River, Namak Lake, and Zayandeh Rud River.
Aphanius mesopotamicus is a species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae. It is found in the Euphrates basin of Iraq and Iran.
Anatolichthys danfordii, the Kızılırmak toothcarp or Sultan Sazlığı toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Kızılırmak River and the upper Seyhan River drainage systems and is now restricted to a few locations in the Sultan Sazlığı marshes. Though little data is available, the population of the fish seems to be declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "critically endangered" and fears it may become extinct in the wild if the drainage of the marshes continues.
The Dead Sea toothcarp is a species of toothcarp in the family Aphaniidae that is endemic to the Dead Sea basin. It is threatened by water fluctuation, and the introduction of cichlids and Gambusia. The specific name of this fish honours the Scottish surgeon and naturalist John Richardson (naturalist) (1787-1865) who first reported killifish in the Dead Sea basin. The Dead Sea toothcarp has been on the Red List of the International Union for Conversation of Nature since 2006.
The Sakarya toothcarp is a species of freshwater fish in the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the upper Sakarya River basin in Turkey. It is threatened by water abstraction, damming and a reduction of rainfall due to climate change. The specific name honours the German zoologist Wolfgang Villwock (1930-2014) of the University of Hamburg.
Kor River is located in the Fars Province of Iran. The sources of the river are mostly in the Zagros Mountains near Mount Dena. It flows into the Bakhtegan Lake, which is a salt lake. The increased salinity level of the lake is due to the decreased flow of the river, which has been dammed.
The Arak toothcarp is a species of pupfish belonging to the family Cyprinodontidae. Discovered in 2012, it is endemic to the Namak Lake basin in Iran.
The Farsi toothcarp is a species of pupfish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Maharloo Lake Basin in Iran, residing in springs, lagoons, and marshes containing fresh to brackish water.
Esmaeilius darabensis, the Kol toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It can be found in the Golabi spring near the city of Darab in the Fars Province, Iran. The species is threatened by droughts and the introduction of invasive species.
Esmaeilius sophiae, the Soffia toothcarp, is a species of killifish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is native to Iran and Iraq which includes the Kor River basin of the Fars Province in Iran, Namak lake and Tigris River basin. They are one of the subclades of the Inland and Inland-related Aphanius Species (IIRAS) and they are part of the richest of the 3 subclades. They can be found in freshwater but also occur in saline water.
Apricaphanius saourensis, the Sahara aphanius or Sahara killifish, is a species of freshwater pupfish belonging to the family Aphaniidae. It is endemic to the Oued Saoura river basin in Algeria. The species is threatened by water pollution and water withdrawal for agricultural use. It was last observed in the wild in 2003. Later surveys have not encountered the species, although a captive population exists; it was last evaluated by the IUCN 2021 and listed as critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild.
Esmaeilius is a genus of toothcarps in the family Aphaniidae, which are native to Iranian Plateau. Most species in the genus have very small distributions and all are seriously threatened.
Aphaniidae, the Oriental killifishes, are a family of the order Cyprinodontiformes. The 42 extant species of the family inhabit inland waters, rivers and lagoons. The distribution of these species extends from the entire Mediterranean region throughout the neighboring states of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Several species in this family have very small distributions and are seriously threatened.
