Oxynoemacheilus galilaeus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oxynoemacheilus galilaeus |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Nemacheilidae |
| Genus: | Oxynoemacheilus |
| Species: |
O. galilaeus
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| Binomial name | |
| Oxynoemacheilus galilaeus (Günther, 1864)
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| Synonyms | |
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Cobitis galilaea Günther, 1864 |
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The Oxynoemacheilus galilaeus, also known as the Galilean Stone Loach, is a type of small fish. It belongs to the Nemacheilidae family, which are often called stone loaches. This fish lives in fresh water and is found in Israel and Syria.
Contents
What the Galilean Stone Loach Looks Like
The Galilean Stone Loach has a long body that is somewhat cylinder-shaped. It looks like many other stone loaches. Its body is about 15.5% as deep as it is long. The part of its body near its tail fin is about 10.4% as deep as its length. Its head makes up about 21.2% of its total body length.
Fins and Body Features
The fin on its back, called the dorsal fin, starts a bit before its belly fins, which are called pelvic fins. The top edge of the dorsal fin is mostly straight or slightly curved. This fin has 4 or 5 rays that do not branch, and 9 to 11 rays that do branch.
The fin on its underside, called the anal fin, has 3 or 4 unbranched rays and 5 or 6 branched rays. The caudal fin, which is its tail fin, has a slight notch in it. Sometimes, it can look like it has a flat end.
This fish does not have scales on its body. A special line, called the lateral line, runs along its side. This line helps the fish sense movements in the water. It extends all the way to its anal fin.
Mouth and Color
The Galilean Stone Loach has thick lips with an uneven shape. It also has three pairs of small whiskers, called barbels, around its mouth. These barbels help it find food.
The fish's body is usually a light yellowish-brown color. It has an uneven pattern of grey-brown spots and blotches. These spots can sometimes join together near the tail fin to form vertical stripes.
Where the Galilean Stone Loach Lives
The Galilean Stone Loach is definitely known to live in two lakes. These lakes are part of the River Jordan's water system. One is Lake Hula in Israel, and the other is the smaller Lake Muzairib in Syria.
Current Status of its Home
Sadly, the Galilean Stone Loach no longer lives in Lake Hula. It has disappeared from there. Lake Muzairib faces some challenges too. It has some pollution, and its water level is getting lower. This is because too much water is being taken out and there hasn't been enough rain. Even with these issues, people say the fish is still common in Lake Muzairib.
There were reports of this fish in a third lake, Lake Tiberias. However, experts now believe those fish were misidentified.
Its Preferred Environment
The Galilean Stone Loach is a lake fish. It likes to live near the edges of lakes. It can also be found in very slow-moving water, almost still water, in the small streams that flow into Lake Muzairib. In these places, it likes to hide among stones and the roots of willow trees.
