Salmo emireae (Salmoniformes, Salmonidae), a new trout species from the Lake Balık, northeastern Turkey

Trout species of the genus Salmo in East- ern Anatolia offer valuable insights into the evolution and diversity of freshwater fishes in the Caspian Sea basin. In the present study, we describe a new trout species, Salmo emireae sp. nov., from Lake Balık in northeastern Turkey, based on combined morpho- logical and mitochondrial (cytochrome b) data. Phy- logenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods revealed that S. emireae belongs to the Danubian lineage and forms a well- supported monophyletic clade, closely related to S. ischchan, S. aestivalis, and S. gegarkuni from Lake Sevan. Moreover, unique morphological traits—by a shorter head, a slenderer caudal peduncle, a shorter maxilla, and a shorter mouth gape—distinguish S. emireae from its congeners. Given its limited distri- bution and pressure from overfishing, S. emireae may be considered endemic and potentially vulnerable. Our findings highlight the need for further taxonomic and conservation studies on endemic trout species in the region. The study provides a detailed diag- nosis, morphometric description, distribution map for the new species, and an extensive phylogeny for genus Salmo, contributing to the growing biodiver- sity knowledge of Anatolian trout. The new species is endemic to a single, isolated lake that is subject to regular commercial fishing and recent drought-related habitat changes. These pressures, together with its restricted range, make S. emireae potentially vulner- able and of conservation concern.

ZooBank ID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5B5AB4FC-B835- 4654-BF76-0FFADF126A14.