Status of Pseudophoxinus libani and P. kervillei, two minnows from the Levant (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Prior to the current study, the Lebanese spring minnow Pseudophoxinus libani was considered an endemic species from a seasonal mountain lake within the Litani River drainage. New specimens were collected from nearby springs, 22 years after the species had been declared extinct. Morphological and molecular characters (COI) showed that P. libani and P. kervillei are conspecific. It is concluded that P. libani is a common species in the Orontes and Litani river drainages and that P. kervillei is a junior synonym of P. libani.