Prior to its description this species had been considered a form of A. anatoliae and also referred to as A. sp. aff. danfordii but collections in the early part of this century motivated new studies and resulted in its elevation to full species level. Phylogenetic analyses have shown it to represent the sister group to all other Anatolian Aphanius spp.

The Anatolia region represents a centre of diversity for the genus with ten endemic species described to date. These are thought to have diverged …