Carasobarbus harterti (Günther 1901)

Diagnosis: Two pairs of long barbels; 31-38 scales in the lateral line and 13-17 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle; dorsal fin longer than anal fin and less than 15% of the length of its last unbranched ray is flexible; dorsal profile of head straight (Ref. 94477).Description: The body is of moderate height and without a nuchal hump; the head is triangular with almost straight dorsal and ventral profile; the head length is shorter than the body depth; the mouth is subterminal with two pairs of long barbels; the eyes are in the anterior half of the head and relatively big (Ref. 94477). The dorsal fin is long and strongly ossified and less than 15% of the length of its last unbranched ray is flexible; its last unbranched ray is as long as or longer than the head; it usually has 4 unbranched and 9 branched rays; the anal fin usually has 3 unbranched and 6-7 branched rays; it does not reach the caudal fin origin (Ref. 94477). It has 31-38 scales in the lateral line, usually 5.5-6.5 scales above the lateral line, 4.5-6.5 below the lateral line, and 13-17 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle (Ref. 94477). The pharyngeal teeth count is -4.3.2; the pharyngeal teeth are hooked at their tips (Ref. 94477).Colouration: Live specimens are silvery with an olive tinge and orange fins (Ref. 94477). Ethanol-preserved specimens are yellow-brown, the back is darker than the belly and flanks (Ref. 94477).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 9 - 10

Found only in the lower and middle course of big rivers (Ref. 94477).

Found only in the lower and middle course of big rivers (Ref. 94477).

fisheries:

Carasobarbus harterti is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Morocco.

Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The body is of moderate height and without a nuchal hump. The head is triangular with almost straight dorsal and ventral profile (Figs 19, 20). The head length is shorter than the body depth (Fig. 12). The mouth is subterminal with two pairs of long barbels (Table 2). The eyes are in the anterior half of the head and relatively big. The morphometric characters are summarised in Table 1. The dorsal fin is long and strongly ossified and less than 15 % of the length of its last unbranched ray is flexible. Its last unbranched ray is as long as or longer than the head (Fig. 4). It usually has four unbranched and nine branched rays (Table 3). The anal fin usually has three unbranched and six or seven branched rays (Table 4). It does not reach the caudal fin origin. Carasobarbus harterti has 31 to 38 scales in the lateral line (Table 5), usually 5.5 or 6.5 scales above the lateral line (Table 6), 4.5 to 6.5 scales below the lateral line (Table 7) and 13 to 17 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle (Table 8). The scales are shown in Fig. 5. The pharyngeal teeth count is -4.3.2 in four specimens examined. The pharyngeal teeth are hooked at their tips (Fig. 6). Live specimens are silvery with an olive tinge and orange fins (Fig. 20). Ethanol-preserved specimens are yellow-brown, the back is darker than the belly and flanks. The maximum length observed in the material examined is 250 mm SL. Carasobarbus harterti differs from all congeners except Carasobarbus exulatus and Carasobarbus fritschii in having nine rather than 10 branched dorsal-fin rays. It differs from Carasobarbus exulatus in having 31 to 38 scales in the lateral line vs 26 to 32 and modally 16 scales around the least circumference of the caudal peduncle vs. 12. It differs from Carasobarbus fritschii in having a straight dorsal head profile and a last unbranched dorsal-fin ray that is strongly ossified and flexible for less than 15 % of its length vs. a convex dorsal head profile and a last unbranched dorsal-fin ray that is weakly ossified and flexible for more than 15 % of its length.

Carasobarbus harterti occurs in the rivers of the Oued Oum er Rbia and Tennsift drainage systems in Morocco (Fig. 18).