New Trout Species Discovered in Turkey

Posted on December 13, 2014

A new species of trout has been discovered in the Alakır stream in Antalya, Turkey. The species was discovered by researchers from Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Fisheries in Turkey. The new trout species belongs to the Salmonidae family, which includes over 200 different species.

The new species has been named Salmo kottelati. A photo of the newly discovered fish taken by Dr. Davut Turan is pictured above. Dr. Turan is the lead author of the study. The fish specimens were captured using pulsed DC electro fishing equipment. The researchers say there are 12 species of genus Salmo in Turkey.

The newly discovered trout looks purplish in the photograph but the research paper says it has a greenish to silvery color. There are numerous black spots on its body. It has fewer parr marks on its flank than other salmon species in Turkey. It has only been found in the Alakir. It lives in water that is cold and clear with a moderate current. The standard body length for the new trout species is 12.2 to 21 centimeters.

A research paper on the new trout species is published here in ZooKeys. The image below is the Alakir Stream, the natural habitat of Salmo kottelati.



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