Benthophilus spinosus Kessler 1877

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).
Published as part of 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, pp. 151-193 in Zootaxa 5190 (2) on page 170, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5190.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7120060
{"references":["Kessler, K. T. (1877) The Aralo - Caspian Expedition. IV. Fishes of the Aralo - Caspio - Pontine Ichthyological Region. Naturgeschichte der Fische Islands, St. Petersburg, 360 pp.","Boldyrev, V. S. & Bogutskaya, N. G. (2007) Revision of the tadpole-gobies of the genus Benthophilus (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 18, 31 - 96.","Bogutskaya, N. (2020 i) Benthophilus spinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2020, e. T 156758702 A 156758728. https: // doi. org / 10.2305 / IUCN. UK. 2020 - 3. RLTS. T 156758702 A 156758728. en"]}