New trout species found in Turkey

A new trout species belonging to the Salmonidae family, which includes salmon, trout, char, grayling and freshwater whitefish, has been found in Alakir Stream in Antalya, Turkey.

The new species Salmo kottelati, discovered by group of researchers from Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, is named after Maurice Kottelat, who contributed to the knowledge of the fish fauna of Europe and Asia.

It inhabits cold and clear water, with moderate current and gravel and pebble substrate. Its maximum known body length is 21 cm, while the largest representative of the family can reach up to 2 metre in length.

Salmonids include over 200 species, which have a high economic value because of their taste and famed sporting qualities.

The genus Salmo is widely distributed in rivers and streams of basins of the Marmara, Black, Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The genus is represented by 12 species in Turkey.

The new species is distinguished from the other members of the family by having fewer parr marks along lateral line and a larger mouth gape and maxilla, which is a part of the fish jaw.

Salmonids are predatory fishes feeding on small crustaceans, aquatic insects and also small fish.

In order to understand the rich genus diversity in Turkey, the researchers collected samples from more than 200 localities throughout the country between 2004 and 2014.

The findings appeared in the journal ZooKeys.