Tadpole goby explained

The tadpole-gobies (Benthophilus), also called pugolovkas (which means "tadpole" in Russian), are a genus of Ponto-Caspian fish in the family Gobiidae.

They are distributed in the fresh and brackish waters of basins of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and the Sea of Azov, up to salinities of about 20 ‰. They typically live in habitats such as the deep waters of the Caspian (salinity about 13 ‰) and in the deltas, estuaries and coastal waters of the Ponto-Caspian.

Tadpole-gobies are small fish, never larger than 15 cm, and usually smaller. Their life span is about one year. After spawning they die.

Species

There are currently 20 recognized species in this genus:^[1]

• Benthophilus abdurahmanovi Ragimov, 1978 (Abdurahmanov's pugolovka)
• Benthophilus baeri Kessler, 1877 (Baer pugolovka)
• Benthophilus casachicus Ragimov, 1978
• Benthophilus ctenolepidus Kessler, 1877
• Benthophilus durrelli Boldyrev & Bogutskaya, 2004 (Don tadpole-goby)
• Benthophilus granulosus Kessler, 1877 (Granular pugolovka)
• Benthophilus grimmi Kessler, 1877
• Benthophilus kessleri L. S. Berg, 1927
• Benthophilus leobergius L. S. Berg, 1949 (Caspian stellate tadpole-goby)
• Benthophilus leptocephalus Kessler, 1877
• Benthophilus leptorhynchus Kessler, 1877 (Short-snout pugolovka)
• Benthophilus macrocephalus (Pallas, 1787) (Caspian tadpole goby)
• Benthophilus magistri Iljin, 1927 (Azov tadpole goby)
• Benthophilus mahmudbejovi Ragimov, 1976 (Small-spine tadpole-goby)
• Benthophilus nudus L. S. Berg, 1898 (Black Sea tadpole-goby)
• Benthophilus pinchuki Ragimov, 1982
• Benthophilus ragimovi Boldyrev & Bogutskaya, 2004
• Benthophilus spinosus Kessler, 1877 (Spiny pugolovka)
• Benthophilus stellatus (Sauvage, 1874) (Stellate tadpole-goby)
• Benthophilus svetovidovi Pinchuk & Ragimov, 1979

Notes and References

1. Boldyrev V.S., Bogutskaya N.G. (2007) Revision of the tadpole-gobies of the genus Benthophilus (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, 18(1): 31-96.[First page]