Thessalian Spirlin

Alburnoides thessalicus is distinguished from other species by the following combination of characters: body deep and relatively thick; snout stout, slightly to clearly rounded; snout length about equivalent to the eye diameter; mouth oblique, almost terminal, uppermost point of cleft below level of the middle of the eye to below the of lower margin of pupil; mouth cleft in lateral viewslightly slanted in its posterior part; sharp ventral keel in 2/3 of its length, variably scaled with modally 4?6 scales; anal fin usually with 12 1/2 branched rays; lateral line with 44?50 + 0?2 pored scales; usually 9?10 scales between lateral line and dorsal fin origin and 4 scales between lateral line and midline of the belly; 24?28 pre-dorsal scales; caudal fin clearly forked with lobes moderately pointed (Ref. 116746).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Analsoft rays: 14 - 17

Occurs in variety of streams and rivers with fast-flowing waters and cobble-pebble substrate. Usually found in upland areas in cool waters. Spawns during middle spring in Pinios River. Often collected with the following species: Squalius vardarensis, B. sperchiensis, B. balcanicus Kotlík, Tsigenopoulos, Ráb & Berrebi, 2002, Chondrostoma vardarense Karaman, 1928, Gobio bulgaricus Drensky, 1926 and Sabanejewia balcanica (Karaman, 1922) (Ref. 116746).