First record and distribution of Alburnus qalilus Krupp, 1992 (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Turkey

The Syrian spotted bleak, Alburnus qalilus Krupp, 1992 was described from the Nahr al- Hawaiz, the Mediterranean coastal drainage, Syria. The species differs from all other members of the genus Alburnus in the following combination of characters: 8 branched dorsal-fin rays, 9-11 branched anal-fin rays, 43-47 scales in the lateral line and 9-11 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch. In the present study, the occurrence of this species is reported for the first time from the Turkish parts of the Orontes river basin in Kilis, Gaziantep and Hatay provinces. Our new data indicate that the home range of this species has been increased towards the Turkish parts of the Orontes river basin.