Taxonomic review of the genus Capoeta Valenciennes, 1842 (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae) from central Iran with the description of a new species

Abstract

The genus Capoeta in Iran is highly diversified with 14 species and is one of the most important freshwater fauna components of the
country. Central Iran is a region with high number of endemism in other freshwater fish species, though the present species was recognized as C. aculeata (Valenciennes, 1844), widely distributed within Kavir and Namak basins. However previous phylogenetic and
phylogeographic studies found that populations of Nam River, a tributary of the Hableh River in central Iran are different from the other species. In this study, the mentioned population is described as a new species based on morphologic and genetic characters.