Capoeta razii

In life the upper part of the body is golden brown, olive-green, or silver, and the belly is whitish up to the lateral line. The head is dark-brown or olive-green on top and the cheeks are pale brown to white. Anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins are hyaline or light brown, and dorsal and caudal fins have a narrow black line on rays. In specimen smaller than 50 mm SL, minute black spots are present on flanks.[1]

In preservation the dorsum is dark brown on back and flanks, and yellowish white on belly (Figure 6). Dorsum of the head is dark brown, and the cheeks beige. Fins are often light brown and pelvic and anal fins may be yellowish to hyaline. Dorsal and caudal fins are darker than lower fins. Peritoneum is black.[1]

Capoeta razii is found in many rivers and streams of the southern Caspian Sea basin. It is one of the most abundant species in the Caspian Sea basin along with the members of the genus Alburnoides Jeitteles, 1861. At the Kheyroud River (type locality), the current was medium to fast, river width was between 3–14 m and the maximum depth was around one meter, the stream bed was composed of cobbles and gravel, and the riparian vegetation type was deciduous forests.[1]

Following fishspecies: Poticola iranicus Vasil’eva, Mousavi-Sabet & Vasil’ev 2015, Alburnoides taberstanensis Mousavi-Sabet, Anvarifar & Azizi, 2015, Alburnus chalcoides (Güldenstädt 1772), Barbus cyri De Filippi 1865, Squalius turcicus De Filippi 1865, Luciobarbus capito Güldenstädt 1773, L. mursa Güldenstädt 1773, Cobitis faridpaki Mousavi-Sabet, Vasil’eva, Vatandoust & Vasil’ev 2011, co-exist with C. razii in type locality. Capoeta razii is known from most of rivers and streams between Atrak and Kote komeh (Near Astara city) rivers in southern Caspian Sea basin.[1]