Benthophilus ragimovi Boldyrev and Bogutskaya, 2004

Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash, Ghanavi, Hamid Reza & Doadrio, Ignacio, 2020, Fig. 4 in Fig. 4 in Fig. 3 in Fig. 21. Sesarmops mora n in Paralbunea dayriti, Zoological Studies 59 (21), pp. 1-303 : 230-231

Benthophilus ragimovi Boldyrev and Bogutskaya, 2004 – Native

Benthophilus ragimovi Boldyrev [V. S.] & Bogutskaya [N. G.] 2004: 132; Type locality: Western coast of Caspian Sea, off Yamma-Kilyazi, Azerbaijan, depth 50 m. Holotype: ZIN 53216. Paratypes: ZIAZ 93 (8). 467 (6); ZIN 23126 (3), 53217 (1), 53218 (7), 53219 (4).

Common name: Pr: Gavmahi-e Ragimov, En: Ragimov’s tadpole-goby.

Diagnosis: It is distinguished from the other species except for B. pinchuki by having the highest number of tubercles in dorsal row which is complete, 30–33, usually 31–32 (vs. 21–31 usually 23–30) and the highest numbers of total vertebrae, 30–32, and caudal vertebrae, 21–23 (vs. respectively, 26–31, commonly 27–30, and 77–27). B. ragimovi differs from B. pinchuki , by mouth width 47–58% HL (vs. 40–47), medial groove on head shallow, usually developed only between eyes (vs. well-developed on temporal and occipital head regions), granules densely-set on whole upper head surface including medial groove (vs. granules few and scattered, absent from medial groove) several anterior tubercles of dorsal row smaller than following ones (vs. of similar size), ventrolateral row with 16–19 tiny tubercles in (vs. ventrolateral row absent or with few tubercles).

Meristic characters: D 1: III–IV, D 2: I 9–10 (10), A: I 8–10 (9), P: 15–17 (16), TV: 30–31, PF: 3–227*07*1*02.

Distribution: Caspian basin ( Fig. 425). Recorded from the western coast of middle and south Caspian Sea from Chechen’ Island to Astara. Deepwater species.

Taxonomy.

Conservation: IUCN: Not Evaluated, PC: Data Deficient. There are not enough data on this species to accurately evaluate its conservation status.