Common name: Menderes nase (E), Menderes Kababurun baligi (Tr). Conservation status: Considered as vulnerable by IUCN International Red List (conservation status VU B1ab (iii)+2ab(iii)) (Crivelli 2005). Also listed as Vulnerable for the Büyük Menderes River basin by Smith and Darwall (2006), and Critically Endangered (CR) (Küçük 2006). Identification: D III/8, A III/9–10, P I/14–15, V I/8, pharyngeal teeth 6–6 or 6–5, Ll. 52–60, gill rakers 26–30. The mouth is straight and the horny layer of the lower lip thick. Dorsal and anal fins concave in outline (Elvira 1987). Grows to 123–197 mm TL and 15.5–107.9 g (Özcan 2007a). Distribution: Confined to the Büyük Menderes River system, Western Anatolia, Turkey. Abundance: Formerly a common fish species of Büyük Menderes River, but now rarely found. Habitat and ecology: It prefers shallow streams with a rocky and pebbly bottom substrate. Reproduction: Little information is known. Spawns in spring, fecundity ranges from 4,255 to 13,760 eggs/female. Threats: Menderes nase is threatened by pollution, alien fish species (Lepomis gibbosus; Özcan 2007b) and destruction of shallow water habitats by construction of dams. Conservation action: The species is officially protected by prohibiting fishing during spawning period. Conservation recommendations: Detailed information is required on the population status, biology and ecology. Remaining populations of the species should be completely protected. Remarks: The species was formerly considered as a subspecies, C. holmwoodii meandrensis (Elvira 1987); but later Elvira (1997) revised this species as a C. meandrense. Today, the species is considered closely related to C. holmwoodii, in the genus Chondrostoma (Doadrio and Carmona 2004).