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The endurance of endemism: the Mediterranean freshwater gobies and their prospects for survival
Author(s) -
Miller P. J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1990.tb05030.x
Subject(s) - mediterranean climate , endemism , biology , teleostei , ecology , mediterranean sea , mediterranean basin , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
Gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae), spawning in fresh waters of the Mediterranean catchment area, are listed, and their diagnostic features and relationships summarized. The species, by zoogeographic category, include (i) Mediterranean: Padogobius martensii (Günther, 1861) and P. nigricans (Canestrini, 1867) from the northern Adriatic and west‐central Italy, (ii) West Balkanian: Economidichthys pygmaeus (Holly, 1929) and E. trichonis Economidis & Miller, 1990, and (iii) Ponto‐Caspian: Prorerorhinus marmoratus (Pallas, 1811) and Knipowitschia caucasica (Kawrajsky, in Berg, 1916), from the northern Aegean area but otherwise widespread in the Ponto‐Caspian region, and the endemic Mediterranean K. punctatissima (Canestrini, 1864) (north‐eastern Italy) and K. thessala (Vinciguerra, 1921) (Thessaly). Scenarios for differentiation following the late Miocene Messinian salinity crisis are outlined. The vulnerability of these species is discussed, and their present status reviewed. Populations no longer exist at the precise type localities of E. pygmaeus (Lefkas) and K. thessala (Hasabali spring, Pinios river system). Special features of scientific and cultural interest are noted, and the biological capability for species recovery is assessed.