''Garra typhlops'', also known as the Iran cave barb is a species of

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...

. It is endemic to caves in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

. Like other cave-adapted fish, it is blind and lacks

pigmentation A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

. Three other cave-adapted fish species are known from Iran: '' Garra lorestanensis'', '' G. tashanensis'' and the

Zagroz blind loach ''Eidinemacheilus smithi'', also known as the Zagroz blind loach, is a species of loach in the family Nemacheilidae. This cavefish is endemic to an aquifer in the Karun River drainage in the Zagros Mountains of Iran.Segherloo, I.H., Ghaedrahmati, ...

(''Eidinemacheilus smithi''). In the general region there are three additional cavefish species, all

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

i cypriniforms: ''

Eidinemacheilus ''Eidinemacheilus'' is a genus of troglobitic fish in the family Nemacheilidae endemic to Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Species There are currently 2 recognized species in this genus: * ''Eidinemacheilus proudlovei'' Freyhof, Abdullah, Ararat, ...

proudlovei'', ''

Caecocypris basimi ''Caecocypris basimi'', the Haditha cavefish, is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to Iraq, only occurring in aquifers near Haditha. This cavefish is the only member of its genus. The species is classed as Critically endangered, possibly extin ...

'', ''

Typhlogarra widdowsoni ''Typhlogarra widdowsoni'' or ''Garra widdowsoni'', the Iraq blind barb or Haditha cave garra, is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to underground water systems near Haditha in Iraq. Although traditionally placed in its own genus ''Typhlogarra' ...

''.

References

Garra Cave fish Cyprinid fish of Asia Fish described in 1944 Taxa named by Anton Frederik Bruun Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Garra-stub