Knipowitschia iljini Berg, 1931

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 : 172

23. Knipowitschia iljini Berg, 1931 ( Fig. 18 ), Iljin’s Dwarf Goby

Knipowitschia iljini Berg, 1931: 1271 , fig. 1–2, pl. I; type locality: Middle Caspian Sea; syntypes: ZIN 22052 (65), 24370 (16),?24424 (6+).

Etymology: Named for B. S. Iljin, Russian ichthyologist.

Distribution and habitat: The coastal waters of all three areas of the Caspian Sea ( Fig. 16C ). Ragimov (1965) reported this species from between Kultuk and Astara region of Azerbaijan and generally in the Middle and South Caspian Sea; It was mapped around the coast of the entire Caspian Sea by Miller & Pinchuk (2004b). Listed by Abbasi (2017) in the coastal waters of Gilan Province in Iran. Benthic and also collected in the water column above the bottom. Shallower coastal areas (20–70 m), but also found farther offshore, from 40–500 m ( Miller & Pinchuk 2004b). Does not enter freshwaters ( Miller & Pinchuk 2004b).

Material examined: ZM-CBSU S104, 7, off Anzali , Gilan Province, Iran .

IUCN: DD ( Larson 2019a).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Distribution of (A) Hyrcanogobius bergi, (B) Knipowitschia caucasica, (C) Knipowitschia iljini, and (D) Knipowitschia longecaudata.

FIGURE 18. Knipowitschia iljini. From top: ZM-CBSU S104-2, 19.6 mm SL; ZM-CBSU S104-4, 20.1 mm SL, off Anzali, Gilan Province, Iran.