Benthophilus spinosus Kessler, 1877

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 : 170

19. Benthophilus spinosus Kessler, 1877 , Spiny Tadpole Goby

Benthophilus spinosus Kessler, 1877: 50 ; type locality: Middle Caspian Sea region , depth 42.7 m; lectotype: ZISP 10896, syntypes: (5) BMNH 1897.7 .5.17 [ex MLSU] (1), others lost.

Etymology: Latin, spinosus = prickly or thorny, refers to the well-developed spiny tubercles.

Distribution and habitat: Eastern and western coasts of the Middle Caspian Sea, southeastern North Caspian Sea (from Kulaly Island south to Mangyshlak Peninsula), and the northwestern and northeastern South Caspian Sea ( Fig. 11C ). No records from Iran. Sampled at 10–25 m during the spawning season and down to 40–45 m in winter ( Boldyrev & Bogutskaya 2007).

IUCN: LC ( Bogutskaya 2020i).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Distribution of (A) Benthophilus granulosus, Benthophilus leptorhynchus, Benthophilus grimmi and Benthophilus svetovidovi, (B) Benthophilus leobergius, Benthophilus microcephalus and Benthophilus kessleri and (C) Benthophilus mahmudbejovi, Benthophilus ragimovi and Benthophilus spinosus.