Two new species of shemayas of the Alburnus mento species group have been described in a review of the group.
Jrg Freyhof and Maurice Kottelat published the review in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters.
The two new species are A. leobergi from the Azov Sea drainage and A. sarmaticus from the South Bug, Dniepr and Danube river drainages.
Two other species in the A. mento species group are A. danubicus from the lower Danube River (now considered an extinct species), and A. mento from lakes in the upper Danube River drainage.
Alburnus leobergi, named after Russian ichthyologist Leo S. Berg, is distinguished from other members of the genus in having ...anal-fin origin about 1"2 scales behind dorsal-fin base; 15"17 branched anal-fin rays; 24"28 gill rakers; length of gill raker at angle between upper and lower limbs of first gill arch 30"50 % of opposite inner gill filament; 54"64 + 4"5 lateral line scales; ventral keel exposed for 4"6 scales in front of anus; head length 21"23 % SL; predorsal length 55"57 % SL; caudal peduncle depth 9"11 % SL, 1.7"2.0 times in its length; eye diameter 4.7"5.5 % SL, 1.4"1.5 times in interorbital distance; no faint grey midlateral stripe; in adult spawners, base of paired fins grey; numerous small tubercles in nuptial males....
Alburnus sarmaticus, named for the Sarmatians, a group of tribes inhabiting Russia, Ukraine and the eastern Balkans, is distinguished from other members of the genus in having ...anal-fin origin about 1.5"2.5 scales behind dorsal-fin base; 15"17.5 branched anal-fin rays; 27"34 gill rakers; length of gill raker at angle between upper and lower limbs of first gill arch 30"55 % of opposite inner gill filament; 56"63 + 4"5 lateral line scales; ventral keel exposed for 4"6 scales in front of anus, reaching about 25 % of distance between anus and pelvic-fin base; head length 21"23 % SL; predorsal length 53"58 % SL; caudal peduncle depth 6.9"8.1 % SL, 1.7"2.0 times in its length; eye diameter 4.8"5.8 % SL, 1.3"1.6 times in interorbital distance; numerous small tubercles in nuptial males; no faint, dark midlateral stripe....
For more information, see the paper: Freyhof, J and M Kottelat (2007) Review of the Alburnus mento species group with description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 18, pp. 213"225.