Alburnoides eichwaldii (De Filippi 1863)

Alburnoides eichwaldii can be distinguished by having a deep body (body length exceeds the depth in four times), large eye, 8 [=8½] branched dorsal-fin rays, 12 [=12½] branched anal-fin rays, 50 scales in the lateral series, 11 scales above and 7 scales below lateral line. It differs from other congeners in Iran by a combination of non-unique characters: moderately rounded caudal fin lobes, not deeply forked caudal fin; commonly scaleless ventral keel; commonly deep head and slightly to markedly rounded snout; the tip of the mouth cleft is slightly below the level of the middle of the eye or at about the lower margin of pupil; 8½ dorsal-fin rays (rarely 7½ or 9½); (10)11-14½ branched anal-fin rays (commonly12-13½); commonly 2.5-4.2 pharyngeal teeth; 44-56 total lateral line scales; 6-10 gill rakers; (38, 39) 40-43 total vertebrae; and the most common vertebral formulae are 21 + 21, 21 + 20 and 20 + 21 (Ref. 106248). Description: anal-fin branched rays 10½ - 14½ (Ref. 91777).

Vertebrae: 38 - 43

Alburnoides eichwaldii, also known as the South Caspian sprilin or Kura chub, is a fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is widespread in Western Asia in the river drainages of the southwestern Caspian coast from Samur down to rivers of the Lenkoran Province in Azerbaijan. It prefers streams and rivers in the foothills, with well oxygenated, fast-flowing waters, and spawns on gravel in swift currents.