Iran. J. Ichthyol. (December 2015), 2(4): 227-234 Received: September 09, 2015 © 2015 Iranian Society of Ichthyology Accepted: October 11, 2015 P-ISSN: 2383-1561; E-ISSN: 2383-0964 doi: http://www.ijichthyol.org

Review Article

Native fish biodiversity in

Brian W. COAD

Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4 Canada. Email: [email protected]

Abstract: The land-locked country of Afghanistan has a restricted but relatively diverse ichthyofauna comprising 85 species in 10 families. The fauna is dominated by Cyprinidae (50 species) and other Ostariophysans (28 species). Eight species are endemics to Afghanistan within its political boundaries. There are three principal drainage basins: the endorheic Amu Darya draining to the Aral Sea with 29 species, the endorheic Helmand River basin draining to the Sistan terminal lakes on the Iranian border with 22 species, and the Kabul River basin draining to the with 44 species.

Keywords: Biodiversity, Afghanistan, Distribution.

Introduction Checklist of native fishes of Afghanistan (species Afghanistan lies in Central and is land-locked. marked with an octothorpe (#) are Afghan endemics) Its area is 652,000 sq km compared with Iran at 1. Acipenseridae (3) 1,648,195 sq km which has access to the sea in the Acipenser nudiventris Lovetzky, 1828 Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and the now Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni (Kessler, 1877) endorheic Caspian Sea. The Afghan ichthyofauna has Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni (Kessler, 1877) not been well-studied and is probably more diverse 2. Cyprinidae (50) than indicated here (Kottelat & Whitten 1996). Alburnoides holciki Coad and Bogutskaya, 2012 The ichthyofauna is relatively diverse for a Alburnoides taeniatus (Kessler, 1874) country isolated from the sea with large portions of Amblypharyngodon mola (Hamilton, 1822) its land mass being desert. The central spine of the Aspiolucius esocinus (Kessler, 1874) Hindu Kush Mountains forms a divide between the Bangana dero (Hamilton, 1822) southern and northern faunas with differing origins Barbodes sarana (Hamilton, 1822) as well as harbouring a fauna of its own. Elements Barilius pakistanicus Mirza and Sadiq, 1978 from Southwest Asia also enter into the mix. Cabdio jaya (Hamilton, 1822) The native fauna comprises 3 sturgeon species Cabdio morar (Hamilton, 1822) (Acipenseridae), 50 carps and minnows Capoeta heratensis (Keyserling, 1861) (Cyprinidae), 1 spiny loach (Cobitidae) (Fig. 1), 16 Capoetobrama kuschakewitschi (Kessler, 1872) hillstream loaches (Nemacheilidae), 4 sisorid Cirrhinus reba (Hamilton, 1822) (), 4 sheatfishes (Siluridae), 3 Cyprinion watsoni (Day, 1872) bagrid catfishes (Bagridae), 1 trout (Salmonidae) Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758 (Fig. 2), 1 spiny eel (Mastacembelidae) and 2 Devario devario (Hamilton, 1822) snakeheads (Channidae). Esomus danricus (Hamilton, 1822) 227

Iranian Journal of Ichthyology (December 2015), 2(4): 227-234

Fig.1. Sabanjewia aralensis (Family Cobitidae), Amu Darya basin.

Fig.2. Salmo oxianus (Family Salmonidae), Amu Darya basin

Garra gotyla (Gray, 1830) Schizocypris altidorsalis Bianco and Banarescu, Garra rossica (Nikol'skiy, 1900) 1982 Garra wanae (Regan, 1914) Schizocypris brucei Regan, 1914 Gobio lepidolaemus Kessler, 1872 Schizopygopsis stolickai Steindachner, 1866 Gonorhynchus adiscus (Annandale, 1919) Schizothorax edeniana McClelland, 1842 # Gonorhynchus diplochilus (Heckel, 1838) Schizothorax esocinus Heckel, 1838 Labeo angra (Hamilton, 1822) Schizothorax gobioides (McClelland, 1842) # Labeo dyocheilus (McClelland, 1839) Schizothorax intermedius McClelland, 1842 Labeo gonius (Hamilton, 1822) Schizothorax labiatus (McClelland, 1842) Labeo pangusia (Hamilton, 1822) Schizothorax microcephalus Day, 1877 Leuciscus aspius (Linnaeus, 1758) Schizothorax pelzami Kessler, 1870 Leuciscus latus (Keyserling, 1861) Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838 Leuciscus lehmanni Brandt, 1852 Schizothorax zarudnyi (Nikol'skiy, 1897) Luciobarbus brachycephalus (Kessler, 1872) Tor macrolepis (Heckel, 1838) Luciobarbus capito (Güldenstädt, 1773) 3. Cobitidae (1) Pelecus cultratus (Linnaeus, 1758) Sabanejewia aralensis (De Filippi, 1863) Puntius conchonius (Hamilton, 1822) 4. Nemacheilidae (16) Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1822) Dzihunia amudarjensis (Rass, 1929) Puntius terio (Hamilton, 1822) Oxynoemacheilus oxianus (Kessler, 1877) Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus, 1758) Paracobitis ghazniensis (Bănărescu and Nalbant, Salmophasia bacaila (Hamilton, 1822) 1967) # 228 Coad-Native fish biodiversity in Afghanistan

Fig.3. Alburnoides holciki (Family Cyprinidae), Hari River basin.

Paracobitis longicauda (Kessler, 1872) Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822) Paracobitis rhadinaea (Regan, 1906) Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793) Paracobitis vignai Nalbant and Bianco, 1998 In comparison with Iran (Esmaeili et al. 2010), Paraschistura alta (Nalbant and Bianco, 1998) # notably absent families are those of marine origin or Paraschistura cristata (Berg, 1898) (see Freyhof et al. migration such as Petromyzontidae, Carcharhinidae, 2015) Clupeidae, Chanidae, Lotidae, Mugilidae, Paraschistura kessleri (Günther, 1889) Atherinidae, Gasterosteidae, Syngnathidae, Sparidae Paraschistura lindbergi (Banarescu and Mirza, 1965) and Gobiidae, as well as certain freshwater families Paraschistura punjabensis (Hora, 1923) such as Esocidae, Cyprinodontidae, Percidae and Triplophysa brahui (Zugmayer, 1912) Cichlidae. All the Afghan families also have Triplophysa farwelli (Hora 1935) # representatives in Iran but significant differences Triplophysa griffithii (Günther, 1868) occur at the and species level in the more Triplophysa kullmanni Banarescu, Nalbant and speciose families. Ladiges, 1975 # The Iranian fauna has well over 200 native Triplophysa stolickai (Steindachner, 1866) species compared to the 85 native species known in 5. Sisoridae (4) Afghanistan. Shared species are found mostly in Glyptosternon akhtari (Silas, 1952) # eastern Iran and include 28 species or 32.9% of the Glyptosternon reticulatum McClelland, 1842 fauna (B= Baluchestan (8 species), C = Caspian Sea Glyptothorax cavia (Hamilton, 1822) (7), H = Hari River (10), S = Sistan (10)):- Glyptothorax jalalensis Balon and Hensel, 1970 # Acipenser nudiventris (C) (Acipenseridae), 6. Siluridae (4) Alburnoides holciki (H) (Fig. 3), Bangana dero (B), Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794) Cabdio morar (B), Capoeta heratensis (H), Ompok pabda (Hamilton, 1822) Gonorhynchus adiscus (S), G. diplochilus (B), Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758 Cyprinion watsoni (B, S), Cyprinus carpio (C, H), Wallago attu (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) Garra rossica (B, H, S), Gobio lepidolaemus (H), 7. Bagridae (3) Leuciscus aspius (C), L. latus (H), Luciobarbus Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) brachycephalus (C), Lu. capito (C), Pelecus cultratus Rita macracanthus Ng, 2004 (C), Schizocypris altidorsalis (S), Schizopygopsis Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839) stolickai (S) (Fig. 4), S. intermedius (S), S. pelzami 8. Salmonidae (1) (H), S. zarudnyi (S) (Cyprinidae), Paracobitis Salmo oxianus Kessler, 1874 longicauda (H), P. rhadinaea (S), Paraschistura 9. Mastacembelidae (1) cristata (H), P. kessleri (B, H, S), Triplophysa Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepède, 1800) stolickai (S) (Nemacheilidae), Silurus glanis (C) 10. Channidae (2) (Siluridae) and Channa gachua (B) (Channidae).

229 Iranian Journal of Ichthyology (December 2015), 2(4): 227-234

Fig.4. Schizopygopsis stolickai (Family Cyprinidae), Amu Darya and Helmand River basins.

Fig.5. Drainage basins in Afghanistan.

There are three principal drainage basins: the to the Indus River and remotely to the Arabian Sea endorheic Amu Darya draining to the Aral Sea with (Fig. 5). historic tributaries now isolated (Murgab and The Kabul River basin has the richest fauna with Tedzhen or Hari), the endorheic Helmand River 44 species (51.8%), being part of the diverse Indus basin draining to the Sistan terminal lakes on the River fauna of the Oriental region. It is probable that Iranian border, and the Kabul River basin and the fauna is even more diverse as it is poorly neighbouring basins (Chamkani-Kurram, Pishin investigated and about 50 other species occur in this Lora and Zhob-Gowmal) draining (now or formerly) drainage in neighbouring . The only 230 Coad-Native fish biodiversity in Afghanistan

Fig.6. Barbodes sarana (Family Cyprinidae), Kabul River basin.

Fig.7. Mystus tengara (Family Bagridae), Kabul River basin. endemics are Schizothorax edeniana and Gonorhynchus, Labeo, Puntius, Salmophasia, Tor Glyptothorax jalalensis, species which have not been (Cyprinidae), Mystus (Fig. 7), Ompok, Wallago (Fig. re-examined in detail since their original 8), Rita, Sperata (Fig. 9) (Siluriformes) descriptions. There is a High Asian element in this Mastacembelus (Fig. 10) and Channa (Fig. 11). basin, with such genera as Schizothorax, Triplophysa The second most diverse basin is the Amu Darya and Glyptosternon, but the majority of species belong with 29 species (34.1%). This is part of an internal to the Oriental or South Asian fauna, such as basin (the Aral Sea) in the centre of a landmass but Amblypharyngodon, Bangana, Barbodes (Fig. 6) was once connected to more speciose basins and Barilius, Cabdio, Cirrhinus, Devario, Esomus, marine waters to the west yet has been isolated long 231 Iranian Journal of Ichthyology (December 2015), 2(4): 227-234

Fig.8. Wallago attu (Family Siluridae), Kabul River basin.

Fig.9. Sperata seenghala (Family Bagridae), Kabul River basin.

Fig.10. Mastacembelus armatus (Family Mastacembelidae), Kabul River basin.

Fig.11. Channa punctata (Family Channidae), Kabul River basin. enough to evolve endemic species (Schizothorax (4 species). microcephalus and Glyptosternon akhtari) and even The Helmand River basin is unusual in being an genera in the Aral Sea basin as a whole internal one with a relatively diverse fauna of 22 (Pseudoscaphirhynchus (Fig. 12), Aspiolucius, species (25.9%) in only two families, Cyprinidae and Capoetobrama, Dzihunia). The fauna of this basin is Nemacheilidae. Three cyprinids are endemics relatively well-known and Afghan diversity will only (Gonorhynchus adiscus, Schizocypris altidorsalis increase if species from the lower reaches extend and Schizothorax zarudnyi) and 6 nemacheilids are their range up the Amu Darya (10 species) or species endemics (P. ghazniensis, P. rhadinaea, P. vignai, known from right bank tributaries extend downriver Paraschistura alta, Triplophysa farwelli and 232 Coad-Native fish biodiversity in Afghanistan

Fig.12. Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni (Family Acipenseridae), Amu Darya basin.

Fig.13. Triplophysa kullmanni (Family Nemacheilidae), Helmand River basin.

T. kullmanni (Fig. 13)), suggestive perhaps of a need which they were once tributaries although their for revisionary studies in the latter family. As an waters are now lost in the desert north of isolated internal basin, there are no lower or upper Afghanistan, and the endemics Leuciscus latus and reaches with additional species that could add to the Schizothorax pelzami. fauna, and it has been reasonably well-surveyed. Ten The three southern basins (Chamkani-Kurram, of its species are shared with the Indus River basins Pishin Lora and Zhob-Gowmal) have relatively small (Kabul, Chamkani), two with the Amu Darya and its watersheds in Afghanistan and known diversity there former tributaries (Tedzhen, Morghab), and three is low, or in the latter two unknown. Their faunas are with both of these major basins. a mix of West Asian, Indus River and Himalayan The majority of Afghan fish, 67 of 85 species species. The Chamkani-Kurram basin could have as (78.8%) are Cypriniformes of which 50 (58.8%) are many as 40 more species in Afghan waters based on Cyprinidae and 16 (18.8%) are Nemacheilidae (with records from Pakistan, the Zhob-Gowmal as many as one species in Cobitidae). The Siluriformes comprise 38 species, and the Pishin Lora potentially could have the next largest group with 11 species (12.9%). 6 species. However, the habitats in Afghanistan are Ostariophysi therefore comprise 91.8% of the presumably more limited than in the more extensive ichthyofauna. The remaining 4 families have 1-3 waters downstream so only a subset of the entire species each. basin fauna is likely to occur in Afghanistan. A high proportion of species are known only The species composition in Afghanistan shows a from a single basin (60 or 70.6%), with 13 from two marked contrast between northern basins with a basins (15.3%), and 11 from three basins (12.9%), fauna that is Palaearctic and a southern fauna that is and one species Triplophysa stolickai from 4 basins Oriental as pointed out by Mirza (1986) based on (1.2%). Coad (1981). There is also a strong High Asian The Tedzhen and Morghab basins contain 6-8 element, comprising species ranging along the species also found in the Amu Darya to the east, to Himalayas and shared between the major basins in

233 Iranian Journal of Ichthyology (December 2015), 2(4): 227-234

Fig.14. Glyptosternon reticulatum (Family Sisoridae), Amu Darya and Kabul River basins. their headwaters, particularly members of the genera checklist. Publications in Zoology, National Schizothorax, Schizopygopsis, Triplophysa and Museums of Canada 14: v + 26 pp. Glyptosternon. These species thrive in mountain Coad, B.W. 2014. Fishes of Afghanistan. Pensoft streams although some schizothoracines have entered Publishers, Sofia-Moscow. 393 pp. lowland areas, notably the Sistan depression via the Esmaeili, H.R.; Coad, B.W.; Gholamifard, A.; Nazari, N. & Teimory, A. 2010. Annotated checklist of the Helmand River acting as a “highway”. There is freshwater fishes of Iran. Zoosystematica Rossica another element, the West Asian, found in basins 19(2): 361-386. fringing the north, west and south of Afghanistan and Freyhof, J.; Sayyadzadeh, G.; Esmaeili, H.R. & Geiger, including such genera as Capoeta, Cyprinion, and M. 2015. Review of the genus Paraschistura from Paracobitis. The northern basins (Amu Darya, Iran with description of six new species (Teleostei: Morghab, Tedzhen) share only four species with the Nemacheilidae). Ichthyological Exploration of southern basins (Kabul, Chamkani), namely the Freshwaters 26(2): 1-48. cyprinid Schizothorax intermedius, the nemacheilids Kottelat, M. & Whitten, T. 1996. Freshwater biodiversity Paraschistura kessleri and Triplophysa stolickai and in Asia with special reference to fish. World Bank the sisorid Glyptosternon reticulatum (Fig. 14). All Technical Paper 343: 59 pp. except the sisorid are also found in the Helmand Mirza, M.R. 1986. Ichthyogeography of Afghanistan and adjoining areas. Pakistan Journal of River basin and the sisorid may occur there too in its Zoology 18(4): 331-339. upper reaches. Sayyadzadeh, G.; Esmaeili, H. R.; Abbasi, K. & Coad, Further details of the Afghan fishes can be found B.W. 2015. Re-validation of Gonorhynchus adiscus in Coad (2014). One species has since been deleted and G. diplochilus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) using from that fauna. Paracobitis boutanensis has been morphological and molecular data. Zoology in the transferred to the genus Aborichthys and is from Middle East DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2015.10955 Bhutan, not Afghanistan (Thoni & Hart 2015). 17. Capoeta capoeta in the Tedzhen (or Hari River) and Thoni, R.J. & Hart, R. 2015. Repatriating a lost name: Amu Darya basins is recognised as a distinct species, notes on McClelland and Griffith’s Cobitis C. heratensis. Crossocheilus species are now placed boutanensis (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae). in the genus Gonorhynchus and two taxa are Zootaxa 3999(2): 291-294. recognised from Afghanistan, G. adiscus being the species in Sistan (Sayyadzadeh et al. 2015).

References Coad, B.W. 1981. Fishes of Afghanistan, an annotated 234