Chondrostoma esmaeilii Eagderi, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Birecikligil, Çiçek & Coad 2017

Chondrostoma esmaeilii can be diagnosed from other congeners in Iran and the Tigris-Euphrates river drainage by the following combination of characters: absence of a horny blade onlower jaw; arched mouth; dorsal fin with 8 branched rays (9 in holotype); and anal fin with 10 branched rays; 51-58 lateral line scales (mean 53.8); 8-9 scales above lateral line 8-9 (mean 8.25), 5-6 scales below lateral line (mean 5.11); and 15-17 short gill rakers (mean 16.3) along the entire gill arch (Ref. 116747).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Analsoft rays: 12 - 13; Vertebrae: 43

Inhabits Sarab-e Ravansar Stream with slow to medium current, 3-10 m width, up to 0.8 m maximum depth, muddy bed and in some parts sandy, and with dense vegetation. Co-occurs with Oxynoemacheilus kiabii, Carassius auratus, Alburnoides idignensis and Gambusia holbrooki (Ref. 116747).