Benthophilus persicus Kovačić, Esmaeili, Zarei, Abbasi & Schliewen, 2021

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  4.7 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; brackish; depth range 6 - 70 m
Distribution:  Eurasia: Southern Caspian Sea.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 4-5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 7-8. This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following characters: behind the jaws is a dermal fold, well-developed, large and rectangular; chin barbel, moderate size 1/3-2/3 of eye diameter; maximum body width 15.1-22.9% of SL; mouth width 36.3-55.8% of head length; D2 I,7-8; origin of anal fin is in front of vertical through origin of second dorsal fin; with dermal tubercles, clearly larger than granules, with two posterior rows of spinules forming an acute, always less than right angle; dorsal row of tubercles complete, 22-29; ventral row of tubercles 22-25; no ventrolateral row of tubercles; tubercles absent on temporal and occipital head regions; no granules on flanks; transversal suborbital row 6i below posterior end of row b; anterior interorbital transversal row pa with one or two papillae, anterior interorbital transversal row pp with two or three papillae; body with 20-22 transversal ltm rows starting anteriorly behind pectoral axilla and alternating anteriorly with three longitudinal llm rows (Ref. 126576).
Biology:  Inhabits brackish waters and is abundant on sandy bottoms in coastal areas (Ref. 126576).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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