Iraq blind barb explained

Iraq blind barb should not be confused with Iran cave barb.

Garra widdowsoni, commonly known as the Iraq blind barb or Haditha cave garra, is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to underground water systems near Haditha in Iraq. Although traditionally placed in its own genus Typhlogarra, this is not supported by genetic evidence,^{[1] [2]} leading to its move to genus Garra. This cavefish is considered critically endangered because of water extraction, which has lowered the groundwater level. Once abundant, a survey in 2012 found that it now was very rare. Another species from the same place, Caecocypris basimi, may already be extinct.^[3] The only other known cavefish in Iraq is Eidinemacheilus proudlovei.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Hamidan, N.H. . M.F. Geiger . J. Freyhof . 2014 . Garra jordanica, a new species from the Dead Sea basin with remarks on the relationship of G. ghorensis, G. tibanica and G. rufa (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) . Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters . 25 . 3 . 223–236 .
2. Esmaeli, H.R. . G. Sayyadzadeh . B.W. Coad . S. Eagderi . Review of the genus Garra Hamilton, 1822 in Iran with description of a new species: a morpho-molecular approach (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) . Iran. J. Ichthyol. . 3 . 2 . 82–121 .
3. Freyhof, J. . 2014 . Caecocypris basimi . 2014 . e.T3450A19006223 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T3450A19006223.en . 16 November 2021.
4. Freyhof, J.; Abdullah, Y.S.; Ararat, K.; Ibrahim, H.; & Geiger, M.F. (2016): Eidinemacheilus proudlovei, a new subterranean loach from Iraqi Kurdistan (Teleostei; Nemacheilidae). Zootaxa, 4173 (3): 225-236.