Neogobius pallasi (Berg, 1916)

Zarei, Fatah, Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Abbasi, Keyvan, Kovačić, Marcelo, Schliewen, Ulrich K. & Stepien, Carol A., 2022, Gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) of the oldest and deepest Caspian Sea sub-basin: an evidence-based annotated checklist and a key for species identification, Zootaxa 5190 (2), pp. 151-193 : 176

29. Neogobius pallasi (Berg, 1916) ( Fig. 25 ), Caspian Sand Goby

Gobius fluviatilis pallasi Berg, 1916: 417 ; type locality: Caspian Sea, mouths of Ural and Volga; syntypes: ZISP 2195, 2204, 23137, 30729, 30736, 30738, 30919, 30920, 30924-26, 33182, 34276 & 34277.

Etymology: Named after P. S. Pallas, Prussian zoologist and botanist.

Distribution and habitat: Caspian Sea coastal waters and river mouths ( Fig. 22D ). Present in all three areas of the Caspian Sea and entering various river mouths of the Caspian Sea drainage. In the South Caspian Sea present only in the northwestern part, according to Pinchuk et al. (2003c). However, distributions based on the present material extends its South Caspian Sea range to the east at Miankaleh.

Remarks: Gobius fluviatilis Pallas, 1814 was originally described in part from near the mouths of rivers falling into the Black Sea and similarly the Caspian Sea. Neogobius fluviatilis pallasi (Berg, 1916) was the subspecies described in the Caspian Sea basin. Kottelat & Freyhof (2007) recognized N. pallasi as the Caspian Sea species and restricted N. fluviatilis to the Black Sea basin. This taxonomic decision was later confirmed by molecular data ( Neilson & Stepien 2011).

Material examined: ZM-CBSU S049, 10 , & ZM-CBSU S048, 35, Shalmanroud mouth ; ZM-CBSU S032, 78, off Astara ; ZM-CBSU S013, 1, & S033, 215, off Anzali ; ZM-CBSU S058, 3, Sefidroud mouth, Gilan Province, Iran ; ZM-CBSU S071, 2, off Miankaleh , Mazandaran Province, Iran .

IUCN: LC ( Freyhof & Kottelat 2008j).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution of (A) Neogobius bathybius, (B) Neogobius caspius, (C) Neogobius melanostomus, and (D) Neogobius pallasi.

FIGURE 25. Neogobius pallasi. Miankaleh, Mazandaran Province, Iran.