Ponticola patimari, Eagderi, Nikmehr & Poorbagher, 2020

Ponticola patimari

Common name. South Caspian freshwater goby Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Ponticola entering freshwater in West Asia by: ○ lower jaw not or very slightly prognathous / ○ 44–56 total scales in midlateral series / ○ second dorsal usually with 15–16½ branched rays / ○ anal usually with 11–12½ branched rays / ○ lateral part of upper lip swollen / ○ dorsal head, lips, cheeks, and predorsal plain brown / ○ flank very slightly reticulate / ○

Ponticola patimari ; Khei drainage, Iran; 63 mm SL.

first dorsal with marginal pale orange-yellow band and dark oblique spot / ○ upper part of pectoral base upper part with one dark-brown stripe / ○ pelvic disc reaching 40–60 % of distance between its origin and anus / ○ two suborbital transverse rows below suborbital longitudinal row b / ○ pelvic-disc fraenum with angular lobes whose length is 1 ⁄ 6 – 1 ⁄ 2 of fraenum width at base. Size up to 100 mm SL.

Distribution. Iran: Cheshme kile to Astara in southern Caspian basin. Absent from Sefid except lower most part and in rivers of Anzali Lagoon.

The Sefid in Iran, here after heavy rain, is the habitat of Ponticola iranicus .

Habitat. Cold mountain to warm foothill streams. Not found in brackish water.

Biology. Male guard eggs in gravel or rocky burrows. Feeds mainly on small fish and a wide variety of invertebrates.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Eagderi et al. 2020 (description); Zarei et al. 2022b, c (distribution, biogeography, genetics, morphology).

Ponticola rizensis ; İyidere drainage, Türkiye; ~ 60 mm SL.© M. Özuluğ. Ponticola rizensis ; Aksu drainage, Türkiye; ~ 70 mm SL. © M. Özuluğ. Ponticola cf. rizensis ; Filyos drainage, Türkiye; ~ 80 mm SL.© M. Özuluğ.