Cobitis strumicae

Common name. Struma spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Marmara basin by: ● two laminae circularis in male / ○ usually two small spots at caudal base, often very small or absent / ○ zone Z4 with 12–21 roundish or squarish blotches, sometimes indistinct or fused two by two / ○ flank not pigmented below zone Z4. Size up to 110 mm SL.

Distribution . Türkiye: Kocaçay in Çanakkale province and a doubtful record from Terme (Samsun, Black Sea basin). European Aegean and Black Sea basins: from Struma drainage to Varna area (Greece, Bulgaria, Türkiye), Lakes Volvi and Koronia (Greece); Danube basin in Bulgaria. Expected to be more widespread.

Habitat. Still to flowing waters with sandy or muddy bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. LC.

Further reading. Economidis & Nalbant 1997 (description); Freyhof et al. 2018c (record from Anatolia); Özpiçak et al. 2023 (record from Samsun).