Habitat characteristics and population size of Iranocypris typhlops, the Iran cave barb

Iranocypristyphlops (Cyprinidae) is endemic to Iran. A cave in Lorestan Province, located in western Iran in the Zagros Mountains, is the type locality of this fish. Recently the same species was reported in Ilam Province, but this observation has not been verified. To describe the microhabitat of Iranocypris typhlops , we used standard laboratory methods to quantify chemical and physical conditions of the cave’s aquatic environment. Sampling was conducted three times, during December of 2009, mid May and mid July of 2010. We used a Peterson and Schnabel mark-recapture sampling during an 8-day period in 2010 and estimated the fish population of the cave between 300 to 600 individuals. Our study can be used to direct conservation efforts to protect this rare and potentially threatened fish species.