Alburnus zagrosensis

The Zagros bleak, <em>Alburnus zagrosensis</em>, is a small freshwater fish in the family Leuciscidae, endemic to the Zagros Mountain region spanning western Iran and northern Iraq. The Zagros range is a significant center of freshwater endemism in the Middle East, harboring numerous fish species found nowhere else in the world. <em>Alburnus zagrosensis</em> is a slender, silvery fish with a laterally compressed body and a small upturned mouth, characteristic of the bleak group. It likely inhabits the clear, cool, fast-flowing streams and rivers draining the Zagros slopes, feeding on small invertebrates, aquatic insects, and organic particles near the water surface. Specimens are relatively small, reaching a maximum recorded length of approximately 13.0 cm and a maximum recorded weight of approximately 0.02 kg, making this one of the more diminutive members of the genus. Details of habitat and range for this species remain limited in the ichthyological literature beyond its known Zagros Mountain association. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. Freshwater ecosystems in the Zagros region face threats from agricultural water extraction, dam construction, and climate-driven changes to river flow regimes.