Proterorhinus

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 675

Proterorhinus

All freshwater species of Proterorhinus have long been confused under the name P. marmoratus . Morphological and molecular data indicate that P. marmoratus does not enter pure freshwaters; it inhabits brackish waters in the Black Sea. Consequently, it is only mentioned in the key. Proterorhinus semilunaris also enters brackish waters and both may occur at similar salinities and may form hybrids. Three species occur in the Black Sea and two, potentially three, in the Caspian basin. All three Caspian species have been described from coastal habitats: P. nasalis and P. blennioides

from the Caspian Sea near Baku ( Azerbaijan) and P. semipellucidus from the mouth of the Karasu, a tributary of Gorgan Bay ( Iran). Proterorhinus nasalis from Azerbaijan and Russia and P. semipellucidus from Iran might be conspecific or two allopatric species. Much more research is needed on this genus and the situation might be quite different from what is presented here in summer 2025.

Further reading. Kessler 1877 (description of P. semipellucidus ); Neilson & Stepien 2009 (phylogeny with mixed-up names); Zarei et al. 2021 (phylogeny with mixed-up names); Vasil’eva et al. 2025 ( P. blennioides ).

Proterorhinus blennioides ; Samur, Dagestan, Russia; nuptial male, ~ 65 mm SL. © A. Naseka.