Knipowitschia bergi (Iljin, 1928)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 685

Knipowitschia bergi

Common name. Volga dwarf goby.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Knipowitschia in Caspian basin by: ● otic transverse row tra of papillae on cheek extending downward from anterior oculoscapular canal almost to row b / ● a second transverse row of papillae on cheek extending downward through row d and almost reaching row e / ○ flank and caudal peduncle covered by scales, with more than one series along lateral midline / ○ about 30 total scales in midlateral series / ○ caudal symmetric. Size up to 32 mm SL.

Distribution. Northern and south-eastern Caspian Sea, deltas of Ural and Volga, along west coast south to Iran. Mostly at sea, but was recorded from a river in Gonbad City ( Iran).

Habitat. A near-pelagic coastal, marine species found in areas of varying salinity, including freshwater.

Biology. Lives 1 year. Matures at 18–20 mm SL. Spawns after first winter, in May–July, at depths of 2– 7 m. Female lay 2–3 portions of eggs (0.4 × 1.0 mm) attached inside a mollusc shell. Adults probably die shortly after spawning. Feeds on small crustaceans.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Knipowitschia bergi is poorly known and has been reported from coastal, freshwater or slightly brackish

Knipowitschia byblisia ; lower Dalaman, Türkiye; ~ 20 mm SL.

lagoons in the Caspian basin. It is thought to be common in northern the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, where it mainly inhabits fresher parts of the sea. Knipowitschia bergi has been placed in a separate genus, Hyrcanogobius , by some authors based on a slightly different organisation of cephalic sensory pores. Its phylogenetic position should be investigated in future.

Further reading. Iljin 1928 (description); Miller & Pinchuk 2004 (biology, distribution).