The new species is named for Maurice Kottelat, who contributed to the knowledge of the fish of Europe and Asia.
Photo via eurekalert.org
A group of researchers from the Fisheries Department at Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University believe that they have discovered a new trout species, which they have dubbed Salmo kottelati. According to an article on EurekAlert, “The new species is distinguished from the other members of genera by having fewer parr marks along lateral line, and a larger mouth gape and maxilla, which is a part of the fish jaw.” Before you book a trophy-hunting expedition to Turkey, keep in mind that, so far, the largest specimen collected was just over 8 inches.
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The new species was discovered in the southwestern part of Turkey in the Alakir Stream drainage, which empties into the Mediterranean.
Image via Google Maps
Yay!!
I’m glad they are doing the research, but that looks a lot like a brown trout, and they only described minor differences. Just a thought.
well let’s hope they treat it better than they’ve treated the Kurds and Armenians.
I’m no scientist but that just looks like a pale (or dead) brown trout.
Brown trout isn’t a single species! If you look into it, there are over 40 species in the Salmo genus, with Salmo Trutta (the most recognised ‘brown’ trout) just being one of them. There once was a time when each river of the U.Ks trout population was classed as a different species, although now they are classified singularly as Salmo Trutta. There is a species of ‘brown trout’ called Salmo akairos, which can only be found in one lake in Morocco which is less then 1 square kilometer. Thought you might like to know.
So a 9 inch fish is a world record?
I’m booking my trip now. Just need to set up an armed escort.
I’ve fished here on the mentioned water, caught and released several trout, also some +40 cm specimens. The fish is a subspecies of brown trout, salmo trutta (macrostigma). I’m not sure if this is a real discovery of a new species, the reasearchers might be paraphrasing an already known subspecies. But the region is a lovely territory fed by a stream and small creeks but threatened by the hydroelectric mafia. One of my favourite camping areas.
Has spots on its tail which a brown trout does not. Mouth gape is a little larger as well.