Cobitis strumicae Karaman, 1955
Bulgarian spined loach
photo by Kutsarov, Y.

Family:  Cobitidae (Spined loaches)
Max. size:  7.5 cm SL (male/unsexed); 11 cm SL (female)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; brackish
Distribution:  Europe: Aegean and Black Sea basins, from Struma drainage to area of Varna (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey), Lakes Volvi and Koronia (Greece); Danube basin in Bulgaria. In Danube and Struma drainages, C. strumicae occurs together with hybridogenous, sprem-parasitic lineages, which have originated by hybridisation of C. elongatoides with C. taenia or C. tanaitica (Ref. 59043).
Diagnosis:  Presence of a black spot at caudal base, very small or sometimes absent, rarely two small spots. Pigmentation (Gambetta's longitudinal zone of pigmentation): zone Z4 with 12-21 roundish or squarish blotches, sometimes indistinct or fused two by two; flank not pigmented below zone Z4. Two laminae circularis.
Biology:  A short-lived species. Adults occur in highland and lowland water courses with little current, in springs and associated wetlands and in lakes (Ref. 26100), with sand or silt bottom (Ref. 59043). Oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 January 2008 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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