The first record of Koi fish, Cyprinus rubrofuscus, from a natural waterbody in the Hormuz basin, southern Iran

The number of exotic freshwater ornamental fish species released from the aquarium trade in Iran has been increasing in recent years. The Koi fish has already been reported from Iran, where it occurred in the southern Caspian Sea and Namak Lake basins. This is the first documented record of Cyprinus rubrofuscus from the Hormuz basin in southern Iran, which shows the range extension of this species in Iran. It seems there is no natural predator in most of the Iranian aquatic ecosystems for large Koi specimens. Therefore, the establishment of established populations in the natural lentic habitats is probable. Hence, eradication programs need to be accompanied by a public awareness campaign to ensure that the aquarium trade and hobbyists do not release these pet fishes into natural habitats.