Hyrcanogobius bergi Iljin, 1928

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, Zootaxa 5190 (2), pp. 151-193 : 170

21. Hyrcanogobius bergi Iljin, 1928 ( Fig. 15 ), Berg’s Goby

Hyrcanogobius bergi Iljin, 1928: 44 , figs. 7–11; type locality: North Caspian Sea , near the mouths of the Volga , Ural, and Emba rivers, Russia and Kazakhstan; syntypes: ZIN 25417 (5), Volga.

Etymology: Named after L. S. Berg, Russian ichthyologist.

Distribution and habitat: The coastal waters of all three areas of the Caspian Sea ( Fig. 16A ). Gobius longecaudatus var. “c” Kessler, 1877 described from Baku Bay ( Azerbaijan) is a synonym ( Miller & Pinchuk 2004a). Its records are from the western coasts of the North and western Middle Caspian Sea (in Russia) and the eastern South Caspian Sea ( Miller & Pinchuk 2004a), also from the western South Caspian Sea (this study). Shakirova & Sukhanova (1994) also record this species from the Atrek lakes of Turkmenistan. Semi-pelagic and also benthic in inshore waters, inhabiting euryhaline to freshwaters ( Miller & Pinchuk 2004a). In Iran, this species was recorded by us in the coastal waters off Astara.

Material examined: ZM-CBSU S017-3 , 34 , & ZM-CBSU S085, 5, off Astara , Gilan Province, Iran .

IUCN: LC ( Freyhof 2020).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Hyrcanogobius bergi. From top: ZM-CBSU S017-1, 29.5 mm SL; ZM-CBSU S017-12, 23.6 mm SL, off Astara, southern Caspian Sea, Gilan Province, Iran.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of (A) Hyrcanogobius bergi, (B) Knipowitschia caucasica, (C) Knipowitschia iljini, and (D) Knipowitschia longecaudata.