More than a mountain in the Arabian Peninsula: Inland fish diversity in Dhofar Region, Oman: An annotated checklist, taxonomy, short description, distribution and conservation

Hamid Reza Esmaeili; Amir Hassan Masoumi; Sorour Echreshavi; Fereshteh Pourhosseini

doi:10.22034/ijab.v12i1.1886

Authors

Hamid Reza Esmaeili
[email protected]
Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Amir Hassan Masoumi Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Sorour Echreshavi Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Fereshteh Pourhosseini Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2024): February

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February 25, 2024

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Oman, a country in Southwest Asia, situated on the south-eastern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula presents a high level of biodiversity especially marine elements. Although arid habitats cover most parts of Oman (82%), the region has mountainous area including the Dhofar region located in the Southwestern Arabian Coast ecoregion supporting several inland/freshwater systems that are vital for the survival of people as well as for different groups of animals and plants. The current checklist provides for each species of inland waters of the Dhofar region all recognized and named taxa, documenting recent changes and controversies in nomenclature, its records, taxonomic status, synonyms, etymology, common English name, short description, range expansion, conservation status, and detailed distribution map based on several field investigations throughout the region. We also provide native, endemic, and introduced species. The diversity of inland fishes of the Dhofar region included in this annotated checklist consists of 12 recognized species in 12 genera, nine families, seven orders, and a class. The most diverse order is Gobiiformes with five species (41.7%), followed by Cichliformes (two species, 16.7%), Cypriniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Centrarchiformes, Gonorynchiformes and Mugiliformes (one species, 8.3% each). A total of 11 native species (84.15%) in eight families and one exotic species (15.85%) in one family are listed here. Out of 11 native species, one species (9.1%) in one family is endemic element that is restricted to the Dhofar territory only. It seems that Dhofar comprises more than 29.3% of the recorded inland fish species of the Arabian Peninsula, and about 52.2% of the inland fishes of Oman. Hence, Dhofar is one of the most diverse areas in the Arabian Peninsula and Oman in terms of inland ichthyodiversity. Identification of all recognized species was confirmed by DNA barcoding (mitochondrial COI). The Dhofar region also harbours 867 plant species (63% of all known plant species of Oman) including 41 endemic plants one species of endemic toad of the Arabian Peninsula, the Dhofar toad, Duttaphrynus dhofarensis (Bufonidae), 60 species of terrestrial reptiles (59,41% of all known species of Omani terrestrial reptiles), 475 bird species, 67 species of wild mammals (49 terrestrials and 18 marine mammals) including the critically endangered Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr). Dhofar is renowned for its biological diversity but they are under natural and anthropological pressures particularly climate change, overgrazing of rangelands, habitat destruction, pollution, water abstraction, exotic introduction, and also some fisheries and shipping activities at the Arabian Sea. Due to its high biodiversity, needs to be taken to ensure that the wild life and their habitats are managed in a sustainable way.

Esmaeili, H. R., Masoumi, A. H., Echreshavi, S., & Pourhosseini, F. (2024). More than a mountain in the Arabian Peninsula: Inland fish diversity in Dhofar Region, Oman: An annotated checklist, taxonomy, short description, distribution and conservation . International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 12(1), 84–100. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v12i1.1886

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