Arabian Himri

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characteristics: one pair of barbels; usually 10 branched rays in the dorsal fin; 27-32 sales in the lateral line; usually 12 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle; and last unbranched ray of dorsal fin shorter than head (Ref. 94477).Description: The body depth is comparatively low and a nuchal hump is present in adults but not developed in juveniles; the height of the caudal peduncle is relatively low; the dorsal and ventral fins are usually positioned behind the middle of the body (Ref. 94477). The head is elongate with a straight or slightly concave dorsal profile; the ventral profile of the head is slightly convex; the head length is about equal to the body depth; the mouth is broad and terminal or slightly sub-terminal with one pair of barbels; the eyes are in the anterior half of the head and slightly protuberant (Ref. 57642, 94477). The dorsal fin and its base are rather short; it usually has 4 unbranched and 10 branched rays; the last unbranched ray is considerably shorter than the head, weakly ossified, and its distal part is flexible; the anal fin has 3 unbranched and 6 branched rays; pectoral and ventral fins are relatively short (Ref. 57642, 94477). It has 26-32 scales in the lateral line, usually 4.5 scales above the lateral line, 3.5-4.5 scales below the lateral line, and 12 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle (Ref. 57642, 94477). The pharyngeal teeth are hooked at their tips (Ref. 94477). It is subject to a rather strong geographic variation, mainly in respect of the number of scales (Ref. 57642).Colouration: live colouration is golden with olive fins; the upper side is darker than the belly (Ref. 94477). In ethanol-preserved specimens the upper side is dark, the belly yellow and the fins are grey or yellow; juveniles have a dark lateral spot on the caudal peduncle (Ref. 94477).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 9

Found in upper courses of wadis, which are characterised by strong seasonal fluctuations in water levels, temperature and other physiochemical parameters (Ref. 94477).

Found in upper courses of wadis, which are characterised by strong seasonal fluctuations in water levels, temperature and other physiochemical parameters (Ref. 94477).

fisheries:

The Arabian himri (Carasobarbus apoensis) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Carasobarbus. It is endemic to Saudi Arabia in wadis in the Hijaz Mountains which either drain into the Red Sea or inland.

The body depth is comparatively low and a nuchal hump is present in adults but not developed in juveniles. The height of the caudal peduncle is relatively low (Table 1). The dorsal and ventral fins are usually positioned behind the middle of the body. The head is elongate with a straight or slightly concave dorsal profile. The ventral profile of the head is slightly convex. (Figs 1, 2). The head length is about equal to the body depth. The mouth is broad and terminal or slightly sub-terminal with one pair of barbels (Fig. 3, Table 2). Only one out of 65 specimens had two pairs of barbels and in one specimen a single anterior barbel was present. The eyes are in the anterior half of the head and slightly protuberant. The morphometric characters are summarised in Table 1. Number of pairs of barbels. n 1 1,5 2 Carasobarbus apoensis 65 63 1 1 Carasobarbus canis 89 4 1 84 Carasobarbus chantrei 157 5 6 146 Carasobarbus exulatus 83 83 Carasobarbus fritschii 299 2 297 Carasobarbus harterti 30 30 Carasobarbus kosswigi 23 23 Carasobarbus luteus 421 365 9 47 Naband population 10 10 Carasobarbus sublimus 18 18 The dorsal fin and its base are rather short. It usually has four unbranched and 10 branched rays (Table 3). The last unbranched ray is considerably shorter than the head (Fig. 4), weakly ossified, and its distal part is flexible. The anal fin has three unbranched and six branched rays (Table 4). Pectoral and ventral fins are relatively short (Table 1). Number of branched dorsal-fin rays. n 7 8 9 10 11 Carasobarbus apoensis 66 2 63 1 Carasobarbus canis 90 5 85 Carasobarbus chantrei 196 21 164 11 Carasobarbus exulatus 110 8 99 3 Carasobarbus fritschii 297 1 23 268 5 Carasobarbus harterti 30 30 Carasobarbus kosswigi 23 3 20 Carasobarbus luteus 441 1 23 411 6 Naband population 10 1 9 Carasobarbus sublimus 18 2 16 Number of branched anal-fin rays. n 5 6 7 Carasobarbus apoensis 65 65 Carasobarbus canis 90 2 88 Carasobarbus chantrei 197 3 194 Carasobarbus exulatus 109 3 106 Carasobarbus fritschii 296 3 293 Carasobarbus harterti 30 29 1 Carasobarbus kosswigi 23 23 Carasobarbus luteus 439 3 435 1 Naband population 10 10 Carasobarbus sublimus 18 18 Carasobarbus apoensis has 27 to 32 scales in the lateral line (Table 5), usually 4.5 scales above the lateral line (Table 6), 3.5 or 4.5 scales below the lateral line (Table 7) and 12 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle (Table 8). The scales are shown in Fig. 5. Lateral line scale count. n 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Carasobarbus apoensis 60 1 9 15 20 14 1 Carasobarbus canis 74 1 3 16 19 12 13 10 Carasobarbus chantrei 168 5 11 31 48 36 29 7 1 Carasobarbus exulatus 79 1 3 17 18 24 13 3 Carasobarbus fritschii 264 1 12 21 39 75 58 36 15 4 3 Carasobarbus harterti 24 1 5 9 4 4 1 Carasobarbus kosswigi 19 1 7 2 3 5 1 Carasobarbus luteus 390 11 52 79 120 84 29 9 5 1 Naband population 8 1 3 3 1 Carasobarbus sublimus 11 4 3 4 Number of scales above the lateral line. n 3,5 4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5 7 Carasobarbus apoensis 60 2 45 7 6 Carasobarbus canis 82 48 11 20 3 Carasobarbus chantrei 171 4 1 147 6 13 Carasobarbus exulatus 79 3 70 5 1 Carasobarbus fritschii 276 15 226 35 Carasobarbus harterti 28 4 24 Carasobarbus kosswigi 21 8 5 7 1 Carasobarbus luteus 389 6 2 315 19 46 1 Naband population 8 8 Carasobarbus sublimus 17 16 1 Number of scales below the lateral line. n 3 3,5 4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5 Carasobarbus apoensis 57 14 41 2 Carasobarbus canis 80 2 3 65 1 9 Carasobarbus chantrei 173 1 84 3 84 1 Carasobarbus exulatus 79 24 1 51 3 Carasobarbus fritschii 286 7 3 151 5 117 1 2 Carasobarbus harterti 29 1 10 18 Carasobarbus kosswigi 23 4 3 15 1 Carasobarbus luteus 384 2 125 16 231 9 1 Naband population 8 8 Carasobarbus sublimus 17 1 13 1 2 Number of scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle. n 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Carasobarbus apoensis 60 58 2 Carasobarbus canis 85 80 1 4 Carasobarbus chantrei 168 4 7 110 27 20 Carasobarbus exulatus 87 1 6 80 Carasobarbus fritschii 253 3 12 212 26 23 1 Carasobarbus harterti 28 2 4 3 18 1 Carasobarbus kosswigi 21 1 2 10 3 5 Carasobarbus luteus 408 3 2 399 4 Naband population 9 8 1 Carasobarbus sublimus 17 17 The pharyngeal teeth count is 2.3.5- in 12 specimens, -5.3.2 in two specimens and 1.3.5- in one specimen. The pharyngeal teeth are hooked at their tips (Fig. 6). Live colouration is golden with olive fins. The upper side is darker than the belly (Fig. 2). In ethanol-preserved specimens the upper side is dark, the belly yellow and the fins are grey or yellow (Fig. 1). Juveniles have a dark lateral spot on the caudal peduncle. The maximum length observed in the material examined is 288 mm SL. Carasobarbus apoensis differs from all congeners, except Carasobarbus luteus, by having one rather than two pairs of barbels. For a comparison with Carasobarbus luteus populations see below. Distribution. Carasobarbus apoensis occurs in the Al Ḩijāz mountain range in wadis draining either inland or towards the Red Sea (Fig. 7). It is endemic to Saudi Arabia.