Morphological and molecular identification of garra species used in fish therapy pools in Antalya

In this study, Garra specimens obtained from five different fish therapy centers in Antalya Province and from the Euphrates River as a reference population were examined in terms of morphometric, meristic, and molecular characteristics. The primary aim was to identify the fish used in therapy pools through morphological and molecular methods. A total of 22 morphometric traits were measured and standardized according to standard length (%SL). Additionally, meristic characters, including dorsal and anal fin ray counts, gill rakers, lateral line scales, and predorsal scale counts, were evaluated. Comparative analyses with G. rufa specimens from the Euphrates drainage revealed distinct differences, particularly in body depth (VD), postorbital length (PostOL), and prepelvic length (PrePL). Moreover, some individuals displayed gill raker counts below the lower limit previously reported for G. rufa. Molecular analyses based on the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcode region were conducted, and the obtained sequences were compared with GenBank data. Integrated evaluation of morphometric and molecular results demonstrated that the fish used in therapy pools exhibited traits consistent with G. turcica. These findings emphasize that the accurate identification of fish species, frequently translocated due to commercial demand, is essential for the early detection of human-mediated species introductions and for ecological risk assessments.