Iraq
Iraq has two cave fish representing genera found nowhere else: the Iraq Blind Barb Garra widdowsoni (Subterranean Fishes) and the Haditha Cavefish Caecocypris basimi (Shoal) (BHL). A loach Eidinemacheilus proudlovei (GBIF) is a cave-dwelling species from the Little Zab. The Pita Skate Okamejei pita (ResearchGate) is a marine fish known only from Iraqi waters.
The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat Nesokia bunnii (ResearchGate), long thought to be endemic to Iraq, has recently also been recorded in adjacent marshes in Iran.
The Saffine Leaf-toed Gecko Asaccus saffinae (Reptile Database) is an endemic reptile. A recently described whip snake Dolichophis mesopotamicus (Species New to Science) may be a synonym of the more widespread Large Whip Snake Dolichophis jugularis (Reptile Database). The Kurdish House Gecko Hemidactylus kurdicus (Species New to Science) has recently been been considered a subspecies of the more widespread Romeshkan House Gecko Hemidactylus romeshkanicus (Reptile Database).
Insects known exclusively from Iraq include a grasshopper Uvarovistia iraka (OSF), the moths Amata higginsi (fig. 4 at BHL) and Deserticossus curdus (fig. 27 at ResearchGate), a jewel beetle Sphenoptera svatopluki (ResearchGate), a ground beetle Platyderus irakensis (DEZ), a darkling beetle Hedyphanes mesopotamicus (p. 4 of nhmus WM pdf), a longhorn beetle Dorcadion mosulense (MUNIS pdf), the scarab beetles Gymnopleurus naviauxi (Persée) and Tanyproctoides freyi (p. 11 of Taylor & Francis pdf), the click beetles Cardiophorus kurdistanicus (fig. 128 at Semantic Scholar) and Agriotes duhokensis (AEGA pdf), a weevil Asproparthenis rufotibialis (iNaturalist), a comb-clawed beetle Mycetochara erbilensis (IASJ pdf), a flower bee Anthophora sulaimanensis (ResearchGate), a sand bee Andrena bakrajoensis (ResearchGate), a wasp Sphex zubaidiyanis (ResearchGate), an ant Camponotus riedeli (AntWiki), a termite Anacanthotermes sawensis (IASJ pdf), the mayflies Oligoneuriella bicaudata and Isonychia arabica (both at insecta.bio.spbu.ru pdf), and a leafhopper Oshaibahus linnavuorii (ResearchGate).
Other endemic invertebrates include a freshwater mussel Pseudodontopsis euphratica
(MUSSELp),
the freshwater snails Gyraulus
huwaizahensis
(p. 5 of malaco.de WM
pdf) and Bithynia
hareerensis (malaco.de WM
pdf), the salt marsh snails Assiminea
mesopotamica (malaco.de WM
pdf) and Assiminea
zubairensis (ResearchGate),
the land snails Chondrula
iraqensis (fig. 9 at Internet
Archive) and Assyriella
macfadyeni (figs. 17-19 at Internet
Archive), a freshwater sponge Corvospongilla
mesopotamica (IASJ
pdf),
an amphipod crustacean Parhyale
basrensis (Inter
Research pdf), the clam shrimps Eulimnadia pulchra
and Leptestheriella
echinata (both at Springer),
a freshwater shrimp Caridina
enkii
(figs. 11-13 at ScienceDirect),
a centipede Lithobius
cuklauvus
(CHILOBASE),
a millipede Calyptophyllum
browni (p. 78 of ResearchGate
pdf), a huntsman spider Cebrennus
sumer (Senckenberg WM
pdf),
a ground spider Pterotricha
arzhantsevi (ResearchGate),
a tree trunk spider Hersiliola babylonica (ResearchGate), and several scorpions: Hottentotta
mesopotamicus (GBIF), Leiurus maculatus (Scorpion Files),
and Orthochirus
iraqus (fig. F at ResearchGate).
Among about 153 vascular plant species unique to Iraq (Univ.
Duhok pdf) are Iris
zetterlundii
(p. 58 of SRGC
pdf),
Tulipa
kurdica (Asian
flora WM), Allium
notabile (IUCN),
Bellevalia parva
(odu.edu),
Onosma hawramanensis
(Harvard
pdf), Ornithogalum
kurdicum (odu.edu) (iNaturalist),
Ornithogalum iraqense
(iNaturalist),
Scrophularia kollakii
(Harvard
pdf), Stachys
babylonica (ResearchGate),
Salvia
ali-askaryi (Harvard
pdf), Prunus
longispinosa (Pak.
J. Bot. pdf), Cousinia
azmarensis (ResearchGate),
Echinops shakrokii
(Harvard
pdf), Scilla kurdistanica (iNaturalist), Euphorbia
shehbaziana (Harvard
pdf), Arum hainesii
(GBIF),
Spergularia
iraqensis (BINHM
pdf), Vitex iraquensis and
Thymus neurophyllus and Ajuga zahkoensis (all at fig. 17 at ISSUU), Heliotropium
lasianthum (GBIF),
a catnip Nepeta
autraniana (GBIF),
Stachys nephrophylla
(JSTOR),
Eremurus
rechingeri (JSTOR),
Leutea rechingeri
(POWO),
Centaurea foveolata
(MNHN),
and a
milk-vetch Astragalus
gillettii (JSTOR).
Choriantha (GBIF) (POWO)
is often considered an endemic genus distinct from Onosma.
A non-vascular plant known only from Iraq is the moss Steppomitra hadacii
(Wiley).
Iraq includes portions of the Mesopotamian Marshes
(or Tigris-Euphrates Alluvial Salt Marsh) ecoregion (EoE) and the
Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).