Benthophilus leptocephalus Kessler, 1877

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 : 167-168

12. Benthophilus leptocephalus Kessler, 1877 , Slender-headed Tadpole Goby

Benthophilus leptocephalus Kessler, 1877: 45 ; type locality: South Caspian Sea , depth 230 m; lectotype: ZIN 10894, paralectotypes: (1).

Etymology: Greek, leptos = slender + Greek, kephale = head, means slender-headed.

Distribution and habitat: Recorded in the western Middle Caspian Sea from the Samur River mouth south to 39°41’N and the eastern South Caspian Sea between Türkmenbaşy (= Krasnovodsk) and Gasankuli (= GasanKuli), Turkmenistan ( Fig. 8C ). Not yet confirmed with specimens from Iran. Deepwater species, spawns at 30–80 m but commonly occurs in depths of 50–100 m, down to 300 m. Salinity usually 12–13 ‰ ( Boldyrev & Bogutskaya 2007).

IUCN: LC ( Bogutskaya 2020f).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Distribution of (A) Anatirostrum profundorum, Babka gymnotrachelus, Benthophiloides brauneri, Benthophiloides turcomanus, and Benthophilus pinchuki, (B) Benthophilus baeri, and (C) Benthophilus casachicus, Benthophilus ctenolepidus, Benthophilus leptocephalus, and Benthophilus persicus.