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The aim of this study was to determine the variations among cephalic plates of individuals in two populations of Clinopodes flavidus in Alborz Mountains, by means of landmark-based techniques of geometric morphometrics. Therefore, 17 landmarks and semi-landmarks on the coxosternite of poison claw and seven landmarks and semi-landmarks on the tarsangulum of poison claw were selected using TpsDig2 software. Data of landmarks, after procrust analysis, were subjected to various multivariate analyses, such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) by means of PAST and MorphoJ softwares. The results obtained demonstrated that shape variations in coxosternite were significantly different among various populations (p<0.001). This study revealed the usefulness of landmark-based geometric morphometrics in the differentiation of various populations of Clinopodes flavidus in Alborz Mountains.

 
 

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Olig1 and Olig2, two transcription factors, play regulatory function in the differentiation and specification of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). In this study the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on total protein concentration ( TPC ) and Olig1 and Olig2 expression in the cerebral cortex of mouse was examined. Twenty-one Balb/c mice were separated into three groups: control, EMF and Sham groups (n=7 for each group). The mice were placed inside the solenoid for a daily EMF exposure of 50 Hz, 1 mT for 6 h/day, 7 days/week for 10 days. The Sham group was also located in the same coil with no exposure. Mice were anesthetized after the final exposure session and their cerebral cortex were collected. TPC and the expression of Olig 1 and Olig2 were studied by Bio-Rad protein assay and western blot, respectively. The cerebral cortex samples were removed for further analysis. There was no significant difference in TPC in the EMF treated cortical samples as compared with those from the SHAM and control groups. It was also shown that the expression of Olig1 and Olig2 was increased in the EMF treated cortical extracts as compared with those in controls and SHAM groups. Therefore, it could be concluded that EMF enhances Olig1 and Olig2 expression in the mice cerebral cortex. Moreover, as Olig1 and Olig2 plays important role in the development of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, it can be deduced that EMF may affect OPC differentiation by increasing the expression of Olig1 and Olig2. Further studies are needed to clarify the extent of EMF impact on oligodendrocyte differentiation.
 
 

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Punica granatum leaf extracts have been used since time immemorial in traditional medicines. It is used for its antioxidant properties. Green nanoparticle synthesis is an emerging field which has opened an entirely different scope for medicinal formulations. It has been reported by many users that the green nanoparticles are more effective medicines as compared with their simple extracts. Thus, in order to evaluate these speculations, the present work was undertaken to assess the hepatoprotective activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Punica granatum in comparison with the aqueous extract. After CCl₄ intoxication the serum bilirubin total increased significantly (p<0.05) and the total protein level decreased significantly (p<0.05) as compared with the control group; in addition, alkaline phosphatase activity, aspartate aminotransferase activity and alanine transaminase activity increased significantly (p<0.05). The CCl₄ intoxicated rats were treated with aqueous leaf extract and synthesized nanoparticles, the results clearly revealed that the aqueous extract of Punica granatum showed hepatoprotective effect, as the liver profile altered by CCl₄ toxicity, recovered to normal control values. Moreover, the nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Punica granatum were comparatively more effective as hepatoprotective agent than the aqueous extract of Punica granatum.
 
 
 

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Coccidian (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) parasites have been reported in almost all groups of vertebrates. These parasites may cause serious ecological and pathological effects to their hosts. Reptiles were found the be the host of the parasites of the genera Schellackia and Lankesterella, as these parasites undergo their entire life cycle in the reptilian body, with an intermediate stage of dormancy in the tissues of a hematophagus transmitter (generally a mite or a mosquito), until the next reptilian host swallows the infected insect. However, very little is known about the prevalence and intensity of these parasites in most of their distribution area, which is the focus of the current study. To do so, the prevalence and intensity of these blood parasites in three species of lizards, including Ophisops elegans, Trapelus lessonae and Eremias monticola from Markazi Province of Iran were investigated. Samples of blood were collected from the caudal vein of 51 lizards of the aforementioned species by insulin syringes, then the blood smears were dried, fixed with methanol and stained with Giemsa solution. Prepared blood samples were then examined by means of light microscopy, using a 100× magnification objective lens. 41 percent of the 51 examined samples were found to be infected by haemococcidians blood parasites from the family Lankesterellidae. The mean intensity of parasites in the three species were between 0.03-0.05%. The investigation revealed a relatively high percentage of prevalence and intensity of blood parasites in lizards of central part of Iran. The results showed the presence of a complete set of various vectors for the spread of haemoparasites in the area. Therefore, future researches are strongly recommended to utilize genetic markers in order to obtain a better identification of the parasites.
 
 

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Finger length ratios are organized during embryonic development of fingers as they exposed to sex steroid hormones, and may show varying degrees of sexual dimorphism between males and females in different animal groups. Among all the finger length ratios calculated in a sample, the ratio between the second to fourth fingers (2D: 4D) is the most important one. In this study, the 2D:4D ratios in both sides of the body (right and left) in all limbs were investigated to determine if sexual dimorphism is present in the 2D: 4D ratios in 44 specimens studied (20 males and 24 females) of Acanthodactylus blanfordi. Other morphological traits of the two sexes were also examined (23 metric and meristic traits), as a result, sexual dimorphism was observed in five metric and meristic morphological traits. In terms of the ratio of the size of the fingers and toes, sexual dimorphism in the length of the fingers was observed only in 2D: 4D on the right side of the body in forelimbs and hindlimbs. The value of this trait was higher in males than females and this difference was statistically significant P ≤0.05).
 
 

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Atta Mouludi-Saleh¹, Soheil Eagderi¹, Keyvan Abbasi² & Manoochehr Nasri^3
1Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran; ²Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran; ³Department of Fisheries Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Correspondent author: Soheil Eagderi, soheil.eagderi@ut.ac.ir
 
Abstract: Due to the presence of taxonomic ambiguity regarding Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae and the tendency to treat them as synonyms of each other, this study was conducted to validate these two species by comparing their morphometric and meristic characters in the Mahabad-Chai River, Urmia Lake basin. A total of 64 specimens of P. ulanus and 68 specimens of A. atropatenae were sampled and were then investigated for 17 morphometric and 7 meristic characters. Measurements were standardized to eliminate the effects of size due to allometric growth pattern, then their normality and abnormality were examined. Standardized data were analyzed using t-test, Mann-Whitney, principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminative function analysis based on P-value of Hotelling's t-test (DFA/Hotelling's T-test) methods. The results showed that the two species were significantly different in 11 morphometric and 2 meristic traits (P<0.05). DFA analysis also showed significance differences between the two studied species. Our results refute the synonymy hypothesis of Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae on the basis of morphometric and meristic traits. Therefore, based on the results of this study, the taxonomic identities of these two species are valid.
 

 

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Hippocampus is a key structure in anxiety processing and memory storage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between GABAergic systems in CA1 area of hippocampus with morphinergic system in modulating of these behaviors. In this study, male wistar rats were cannulated with stereotaxic surgery in CA1 site. After a recovery period, morphine (µ opioid receptor agonist) was injected intraperitoneal, muscimol and bicuculline (GABA_A receptor agonist and antagonist) were injected into the CA1. Parameters such as percentage of Open arms time (%OAT) and entries (%OAE) were calculated by means of an EPM apparatus. One-way ANOVA analysis showed that intraperitoneal administration of morphine increased %OAT and %OAE, indicating the anxiolytic effect of morphine. Based on paired sample T-test, the rate of memory formation improved. Pre-test intra-CA1 infusion of muscimol and bicuculline induced anxiolytic-like and anxiogenic-like behaviors, respectively; meanwhile, both drugs improved memory. Systemic injections of an effective dose of morphine combined with triple doses of muscimol showed a synergistic effect on memory formation and anxiety reduction. Simultaneous injection of morphine and bicuculline altered the negative effects of the latter on anxiety and increased the memory formation. This finding showed that GABAergic and opioidergic systems have similar effects on memory and anxiety in CA1 area.
 

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The status of sexual dimorphism patterns in human and various animal groups including some mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been studied, however, despite the fact that a growing number of studies were aimed to describe sexual dimorphism patterns in external morphological features such as the proportion of toes in animals, our knowledge of some basic issues, specially in some animal groups, is still limited. In this study, sexual dimorphism in terms of external morphological features as well as the ratio between finger lengths II to IV (2D: 3D, 2D: 4D, 3D: 4D) of the front and rear limbs in 30 specimens of Bufo eichwaldi toads (15 male and 15 female specimens) were in northern Iran. The results showed that females had higher mean body length (SVL) than males and this difference was statistically significant (90.50 mm in males vs. 114.93 mm in females and P = 0.00). In terms of other morphological traits, the results of T-test analysis (T test for independent samples) showed that the traits of diameter between two eyes (IOD), tympanum diameter (TD), length of the humerus (LHU), forearm length (FOL) and foot length (FL) had significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between males and females. Also, the ratio of the size of the length of the fingers and toes on the left side of the body was examined in the species studied in terms of 2D:3D, 2D:4D, 3D:4D. The results showed that males and females were significantly different in two traits including 4^th toe length (D4) and 1^st finger length (F1). In addition, in terms of 2D:4D between males (0.4628) and females (0.4853) significant difference (P = 0.041) in the second and fourth toes of the hind limbs and in terms of 3D:4D between males (0.6233) and females (0.6787), there was a significant difference (P= 0.040) in the third and fourth fingers of the hind limbs. In this study, some habitat characteristics, ecology, threats and conservation measures related to Talysh toad species were also investigated.

 

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Climate change is currently considered a serious threat for many species and recognized as one of the most important factors in the global biodiversity loss. Among animal groups, amphibians are known to be among the most sensitive groups of vertebrates to climate change due to their inability to travel long distances, and mountain habitat species are more exposed to climate change pressures than other species. Therefore, in this study, the current distribution potential of five species of amphibians living in the Zagros Mountains was assesed and their response to climate change in 2070 was predicted. To do so, a group approach for modeling the distribution of species (SDMs) was utilized to estimate the risks of losing the desired habitat potential in the event of climate change. Also, to estimate the desired habitat area in the context of climate change, calculations related to habitat area changes for each species were performed. Predictions showed that two out of five species studied, i.e., Azarbaijan Mountain Newt (Neurergus crocatus) and Yellow Spotted Newt (Neurergus derjugini) negatively reaction to climate change and their distribution range was predicted to be decreased and contracted. Habitat displacement behavior in the face of new changes is predictable for two species, i.e., Lorestan Toad (Bufotes luristanicus) and Fire Salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata semenovi). Considering the speed of climate change in the Zagros Mountains, the present study is a step towards identifying the dynamics of habitat changes affecting amphibians of Zasgros region to cope with the impacts of climate change.

 

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Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 is considered as one of the non-native and invasive species in the inland waters of Iran. This species occurs in most inland basins and aquatic bodies of Iran and has even been found in brackish waters. Extensive adaptations of this species to its different habitats caused numerous changes in its biological characteristics and morphological traits. The present study was performed to investigate the sexual dimorphism of G. holbrooki in the Gamasiab River, Kermanshah Province, Iran. 59 fish specimens were collected from the river in September 2017. After taxonomic confirmation and sex determination, 29 morphological traits were measured in fish samples using a caliper and their meristic traits were recorded. In total, 37 characters (including 8 meristic traits and 29 morphometric traits) were examined. After obtaining morphological data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were utilized to compare morphological traits between male and female individuals. The results showed that the 59 specimens were comprised of 30 malea and 29 femalea. On the basis of the results, all morphological traits, except the caudal peduncle length, dorsal fin base length and a post-anal length, showed significant sexual dimorphism (p <0.05). The results of DFA and PCA analysis showed that males and females were completely different from each other in terms of morphometric traits. These findings indicate that there is a sexual dimorphism in G. holbrooki of the Gamasiab River. The sexual dimorphism observed in this fish species is due to the sexual selection and increase of reproductive success.

 

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The faunistic investigation of beetles has been of a great importance in Iran due to the impresive diversity of species, which is highly promoted by the climatic variation of the Country. Therefore, detection of the ingenious regions, such as Taleqan, is important. In this study, mite-related beetles which were sampled from different areas of Taleqan were investigated and 14 species belonging to 13 genera and 9 families, including Buprestidae, Carabidae, Cerambycidae, Cicindellidae, Lucanidae, Malachidae, Meloidae, Scarabaeidae and Tenebrionidae, were identified. In addition, mite specimens were found to be from different groups, including Mesostigmata, Heterostigmata, Trombidiformes and Sarcoptiformes. New records of mites and their corresponding hosts in Iran were as follows: Alliphis kargi on Scarabaeus pius and S. typhon (Scarabaeidae), Antennoseius sp. on Pterostichus sp. (Carabidae), Parasitengona species on Julodis andreae (Buprestidae) and Mylabris syrica (Meloidae), Prostigmata species on Aegosoma sabricorne and Cerambyx dux (Cerambycidae), Hypoaspis maryame on Pentodon idiota and Oryctes sp. (Scarabaeidae), and H. phyllognathi on Dorcus parallelipipedus (Lucanidae).

 

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Seyed Mohammad Ali Shariatzadeh & Zahra Alizadeh
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Arak University, Arak, Iran
Correspondent author: Seyed Mohammad Ali Shariatzadeh, s-shariatzadeh@araku.ac.ir

Abstract. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) can affect female fertility because they can cause toxicity in the ovaries. The aim of this study is to see if Spirulina platensis (SP) can protect mouse from Ag NPs-exposed toxicity in its ovary. Twenty-four female Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice were divided into four groups (n = 6 per group): control; Ag NPs (500 mg/kg daily); SP (300 mg/kg daily) and Ag NPs + SP (With the same defined doses). 30 days after oral gavage treatment, biochemical parameters were measured and ovary compartments were estimated stereologically. The Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) values, hormonal concentrations, corpus luteum volume, and the number of healthy follicles were all significantly lower (p<0.05) in the Ag NPs group compared with the control group. in the SP group, malondialdehyde concentration and atretic follicles were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in the mean total volume of ovary, cortex, medulla, oocyte and its nucleus, and the thickness of the zona pellucida in any group. Although, SP in the Ag NPs + SP group cannot compensate the above parameters to the control level, it considerably improves ovarian damage caused by Ag NPs through reducing oxidative stress.

Key words. follicles, hormones, oxidative stress, stereology, zona pellucida

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Irisin is a myokine secreted mostly by muscles after exercise, and its secretion level changes in metabolic disorders. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of metformin on changes in the levels of plasma irisin, blood glucose and insulin resistance in male Sprague-Dawley rats receiving a high-fat emulsion diet. Twenty-four rats were divided into a normal control group (n = 8) and a high-fat diet group (n = 16). Then, high-fat diet group was divided into two subgroups, including high-fat diet control group (n = 8) and metformin group (n = 8). The normal control group received a standard diet. The high-fat diet control group received a high-fat emulsion diet containing corn oil by gavage on a daily basis for six weeks, and the metformin group received a high-fat emulsion diet with metformin (250 mg/kg/daily). At the end of the six-week period, factors such as glucose, insulin, irisin, Adiponectin, insulin resistance, liver enzymes, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), serum lipid profile, lipid profile and lipid peroxidation in liver were measured and PGC-1α gene expression were examined in adipose tissue by Real-time PCR method. Liver histological tests with hematoxylin-eosin staining were performed to evaluate fat accumulation in liver tissue. Blood glucose level, insulin resistance, adiponectin, serum irisin level and liver lipid profile in the group receiving high-fat diet compared to the normal control group increased significantly (P <0. 05). Treatment with metformin caused a significant decrease in the level of these parameters compared to the high-fat diet group (P <0. 05) and an increase in the expression of PGC-1α gene in adipose tissue was observed in this group. As insulin resistance increased in rats receiving the high-fat diet, serum irisin level also increased, and with improving blood glucose and insulin resistance by metformin, serum irisin level was decreased. These results suggested that the elevated irisin levels may be a compensatory response to insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism. Hence, irisin could be considered as a potential target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

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Olfaction, the sense of smell, plays an important role in the individual's safety, nutrition, social interactions, sexual function, and quality of life. Diabetes mellitus, which affects more than 400 million people worldwide, is associated with olfactory dysfunction. This work evaluated the olfactory bulb structure of Type 2 diabetes rats. Type 2 diabetes induction was performed by administering 20mg/Kg Streptozotocin to adult Wistar rats for five days. 35 days after injection, animals were sacrificed, and olfactory bulb tissue was harvested for tissue processing and Nissl staining to evaluate the olfactory bulb structure. Based on the results, diabetic animals showed a significant decrease in the Glomeruli number compared to controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in the internal plexiform layer thickness in the olfactory bulb of diabetic rats when compared to controls (P<0.05). The present results showed that olfactory dysfunction in Type 2 diabetes rats is associated with olfactory bulb structural change, which indicates the olfactory bulb tissue damage caused by diabetes.

 

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Molluscs are important pests of natural and agricultural ecosystems, by feeding on different parts of leaves, stems, flowers, buds, fruits and roots of different plant hosts, reducing the marketability of annual agricultural products and damage plant species in different habitats in the country. Moreover, they are intermediate hosts of human and cattle parasites, and therefore are of medicinal and veterinary importance. In this study, snails and slugs were sampled from nine designated stations located in the south and west regions of Tehran province, considering their natural condition, vegetation, location of gardens and fields, soil or subsoil types, from the beneath of rocks and trunks, water bodies and other areas related to the habitat of snails and slugs. Samples were made using sampling nets or gathered directly by hand from plants, shrubs and river banks. Overally, 17 species belonging to 12 genera from nine families were collected and identified. Identification was done according to morphometric characters including shape, size of shell, dextral and sinistral position of the shell, operculum, aperture, radula, mucus colour, respiratory pore, keel, renal ridge and reproduction system. The highest and lowest mollusc species diversity among the stations studied were turned to be 16 and 6 species belong to station 9 (west of Tehran province) and station 2 (south of Tehran province), respectively. The most commonly diversed family was Hellicidae with 5 species, i.e., Monacha cantiana, Euomphalia pisiformis, Helicella krynickii, Helicella derbentina, Caucasotachea atrolabiata. Also, Lymnaea truncatula is identified as the most frequent species, which has medical importance. Monacha cantiana was identified in the present study and reported for the first time from Iran. All the samples and their respective spatial and temporal information were made available in the museum of the Agricultural Zoology Research Department in Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection.

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Cisplatin (CP) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs, however, its clinical use is limited due to possesing nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and hemotoxicity side effects. α-lipoic acid (ALA) is known as a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ALA on cisplatin-induced hemotoxicity. In this experimental study, 35 NMRI mice were divided into five groups (7 mice/group) of Group 1 (Control), group 2 (CP), group3 (CP+ALA low dose), group 4 (CP+ALA high dose) and group 5 (ALA). ALA was administrated orally for 7 consecutive days and CP was injected intraperitoneally. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and blood parameters were analyzed. Spleens belong to different groups were evaluated histologically. The data were revealed that erythrocyte count, White blood cells count and hemoglobin level were increased significantly in group2 in comparison with other groups. However, ALA administration improved CP induced changes in blood parameters. CP treatment induced histological changes such as increase in megakaryocytes count and accumulation of hemosiderin and collagen in red palp of spleen. ALA treatment improved CP induced histological alteration in groups 3 and 4. Results of the present study showed that ALA exerts protective effects on CP-induced hemotoxicity and histological alteration of spleen.

 
 

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       Continuous environmental monitoring is one of the important principles of management and is environmental assessment axis, and molluscs are one of the biological indicators of ecosystem quality. For this purpose, snails and slugs were collected and identified in the east of Tehran province which during it according to the availability, habitat diversity and geomorphological differences in more than 3251 samples from five microclimates were collected and identified. Specimens were gathered by hand, sweeping net and other techniques from aquatic plants, rotten underwood, shrubs and weeds, their geograical and regional properties were recorded and transfered to laboratory. Then through available morphological identification keys, specimens were identified as 19 species belonging to 13 genera and 10 families based on morphometric characteristics, including (shape and size of operculum, aperture, dextral or sinistral profile of their shell, pneumostome, keel, radula, renal ridge and reproduction system) and the comparison of photos and the identification key of these taxons were prepared and discussed:
Bithynia tentaculata (Linnaeus, 1758), Physella acuta (Draparnaud,1805), Lymnaea truncatula (Müller, 1774), , Lymnaea palusris (Müller, 1774) , Lymnaea pereger (Müller, 1774) , Lymnaea gedrosiana (Annandale and Prashad, 1919), Planorbis planorbis (Linnaeus, 1758), Gyraulus euphraticus(Mousson, 1874), Gyraulus convexiusculus (Hutton, 1849), Succinea putris (Linnaeus, 1758), Helicella krynickii (Krynicki, 1833), Helicella derbentina(Krynicki, 1836), Caucasotachea atrolabiata (Krynicki, 1833), * Monacha cartusiana (Müller, 1774), Oxychilus herzi (Boettger, 1889), Agriolimax agrestis=Deroceras reticulatum (Müller, 1774), *Theba pisana (Müller, 1774), Parmacella ibera Eichwald, 1841, Planorbis carinatus Müller, 1774.
Two species marked with an asterisk are new records for Iranian mollusc fauna. In this study, among the samples collected, the largest families in terms of species diversity are Planorbidae with four species (Planorbis planorbis, Gyraulus euphraticus, Gyraulus convexiusculus, Planorbis carinatus), Lymnaeidae with four species (Lymnaea truncatula, Lymnaea gedrosiana, Lymnaea palustris, Lymnaea pereger) and Helicidae with four species: Helicella krynickii, Helicella derbentina, Caucasotachea atrolabiata, Theba pisana. The highest and lowest species diversity among the identified species with 18 and 5 species are related to stations 4 and 5 of the investigated areas respectively. The whole collection will be kept permanently in the Zoology Museum of Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection.

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This study was conducted to investigate the ecological niche overlap of two sympatric species, Paracapoeta trutta and Capoeta damascina in the Iranian part of the Sirvan River, Persian Gulf basin. For this purpose, during the winter of 2021, sampling was done from eight stations (each with three repetitions). After identification, samples were released into the same sampling sites. Then some 10 environmental factors including depth, water velocity, river width, pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), Altitude, slope, and dissolved oxygen were measured and recorded. Investigating the habitat suitability indices of P. trutta  were recorded as pH 7.5-8, temperature about 10°C, TDS 150mg/liter, EC 400μS/cm, altitude 1150 m, depth 15cm, river width about 9m, velocity 1 m/s, slope 2% and dissolved oxygen 9mg/l and for C. damascina as pH 6-6.5, temperature about 10°C, TDS 180 to 200mg/l, EC 300μS/cm, altitude 1150m, depth 25cm, river width about 6m, velocity 0.5 m/s, the slope is 2% and the dissolved oxygen 8mg. The results of the ecological niche overlap showed that two species based on studied environmental factors had the highest overlap value for dissolved oxygen (0.646) and the  value for temperature (0.293). The average ecological niche overlap was 0.432 for the two species.