Cobitis puncticulata

Common name. Brown spined loach.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Cobitis in Marmara basin by: ● body brownish / ● blotches of zone Z2 and Z4 very small, indistinct, or confluent / ○ flank pigmented below zone Z4 / ○ one lamina circularis in male. Size up to 78 mm SL.

Distribution . Türkiye: Lakes Manyas and Ulubat basins; Greece and Türkiye: lower Maritza drainage.

Habitat. Still to moderately flowing streams with muddy bottoms.

Biology. No data.

Conservation status. EN; appears to be declining within its very small range.

Further reading. Erk’akan et al. 1998 (description); Freyhof et al. 2008 (record from Greece); Freyhof et al. 2018c (description, distribution).