The stellate tadpole-goby (''Benthophilus stellatus'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of gobiid fish native to the basin of the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov ( Crimean Tatar: ''Azaq deñizi''; russian: Азовское море, Azovskoye more; uk, Азовське море, Azovs'ke more) is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, ...

where it occurs in the

Gulf of Taganrog Taganrog Bay (, uk, Таганрозька затока) is the northeastern arm of the Sea of Azov. It also may be perceived as a flooded estuary of the Don River (Russia), Don River. Geography The bay serves as a natural boundary between the ...

and limans of the eastern coast. It also lives in the lower Don River up to the Tsimlyansk Reservoir. It occurs in fresh and brackish waters of depths greater than , preferring shallow coastal lagoons and lowland rivers. Males can reach a length of TL while females only reach TL. The Caspian stellate tadpole-goby (''Benthophilus leobergius'') has been considered a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of this species.

References

External links

Пуголовка звездчатая (''Benthophilus stellatus'' (Sauvage, 1874)
Рыбы вод Украины. fish.kiev.ua

Позвоночные животные России www.sevin.ru Benthophilus Freshwater fish of Europe Fish of Europe Fish of Russia Taxa named by Henri Émile Sauvage Fish described in 1874 {{Gobiidae-stub

See also

References

External links