, a new nemacheilid loach species (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) from the Syr Darya River basin, Central Asia.

, new species, is described from the Sokh River, a former tributary of Syr Darya that today fails to reach the river, in the Sokh District, an exclave of Uzbekistan, surrounded by Kyrgyzstan. is distinguished from other species of in Central Asia by a truncate caudal fin with 13 or 14 branched rays, body without obvious mottling, dorsal-fin origin opposite to pelvic-fin insertion, and absence of the posterior chamber of the air bladder. Molecular data suggest that is closely related to from the Shakhimardan stream, a small tributary of Syr Darya in the Yordon village, another exclave of Uzbekistan in Kyrgyzstan. The two species were separated by a Kimura 2-parameter genetic distance of 2.8% in the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I barcode region; they are also distinguished morphologically. A key to the species of in the Syr Darya basin and adjacent regions is provided.