Alburnus magnificus Common name. Hatay spotted bleak. Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Alburnus in Mediterranean basin by: ○ mottled pattern on flank, pattern clear in live individuals / ○ anal origin below or behind last dorsal ray / ○ 4–5 scale rows between lateral line and anal origin / ○ ventral keel exposed for 5–10 scales in front of anus / ○ 9–11½ branched anal rays / ○ 9–12 gill rakers / ○ 45–52 total lateral line scales / ○ 4–5 scale rows between lateral line and anal origin / ○ last simple dorsal ray soft / ○ pelvic axillary scales present / ○ scales on back, flank, and belly well developed, overlapping / ○ bold black, grey or brown scales on silvery or brown background. Size up to 82 mm SL. Distribution. Türkiye and Syria: Orontes drainage. Habitat. Moderately fast-flowing streams with gravel substrate. Biology. No data. Conservation status. VU; found in fewer than 10 declining populations. Seems to have disappeared from Syria. Remarks. Alburnus magnificus is related to A. qalilus from coastal streams in Syria. Further reading. Geiger et al. 2014 (phylogeny); Freyhof & Turan 2019 (description).

Published as part of Freyhof, Jörg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, GmbH, Berlin / Boston :De Gruyter on page 322, DOI: 10.1515/9783111677811, http://zenodo.org/record/17881367