| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished from other species of the O. angorae group by the following characters, but none is unique to the species: differs from O. mediterraneus and O. anatolicus by having a more slender caudal peduncle, its depth 1.5-2.1 times in length (vs. 1.2-1.5 in O. mediterraneus, 1.3-1.6 in O. anatolicus); further differs from O. mediterraneus by the emarginate caudal fin, middle caudal-fin ray 76-91% of length of longest upper caudal-fin ray (vs. deeply emarginate, 65-76), a slowly decreasing body depth between the dorsal- and caudal-fin bases, depth of caudal peduncle 70-86% of body depth at anteriormost dorsal fin base (vs. almost uniform, 85-92), and the flank blotches being usually disconnected from the saddles on the back, rarely 1-2 flank blotches connected (vs. usually all connected); differs further from O. anatolicus, O. angorae, O. isauricus, O. eregliensis by having few embedded scales on the belly (vs. no scales), and with dorsal part of the head and the upper part of the cheek with a vermiculate or marbled pattern (vs. mottled); differs further from O. angorae by having irregularly shaped and set, vertically elongated blotches on the flank, rarely a mottled or marbled pattern (vs. a series of dark-brown midlateral blotches usually fused into a wide, irregular shaped midlateral stripe, rarely a mottled pattern), tip of the pectoral fin usually reaching to or slightly beyond the pelvic-fin origin in the male (vs. not reaching), a longer pre-pelvic length, 51-55% SL (vs. 48-51), a smaller distance between the pelvic- and anal-fin origins, 20-23% SL (vs. 23-28), preoperculo-mandibular canal with 8-10 pores (vs. 10-13); differs further from O. isauricus by having a deeper caudal peduncle, caudal-peduncle depth 1.5-2.1 times in length (vs. 2.2-2.6), a more posteriorly positioned pelvic fin, pre-pelvic length 51-55% SL (vs. 48-51), and usually a series of short bars on caudal peduncle (vs. a series of midlateral blotches on flank); differs further from O. eregliensis by having a series of vertically elongated blotches along the lateral midline or slightly below, rarely a mottled pattern (vs. irregularly set and shaped, often round blotches, usually forming a marbled pattern), anal and pelvic fins without brown blotches (vs. present in individuals larger than 5.0 cm SL), anal-fin origin and anal-fin base without pigmentation (vs. usually with a brown blotch at anal-fin origin, often with brown anal-fin base), a smaller distance between the pelvic- and anal-fin origins, 20-23% SL (vs. 23-26), and a longer anal fin, its length 16-19% SL (vs. 14-16); differs from O. germencicus by having the tip of the pelvic fin usually not reaching to the anus (vs. reaching), and a prominent inner axial stripe (vs. absent) (Ref. 131061). |
