Genus Gobio
Cuvier, 1816

The gudgeon genus includes about 24 species found from the British Isles through Europe and northern Asia to Korea. There is one species in Iran and a second species is now in the genus Romanogobio.

The body shape is distinctive, being elongate and fusiform with moderately large scales (36-51), the throat is naked or scaled, the mouth is inferior or terminal, horseshoe-shaped and has a barbel at each corner, the lower lip is thin like the upper lip but is interrupted medially, gill rakers are short and widely spaced, pharyngeal teeth are in 2 rows (usually 5 in the main row and 2-3 in the second) and are obviously hooked at the tips, both dorsal and anal fins are short and spineless, the gut is short and the peritoneum silvery, and the vent is remote from the anal and pelvic fin origins.

Gobio gobio
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common names

mahi kopur kafzi (= bottom-dwelling carp fish), گاو ماهي (= gav mahi, probably in error for Neogobius gobies).

[Turkestanskii peskar' or Turkestan gudgeon in Russian].

Systematics

Cyprinus Gobio was originally described from England.

Bungia nigrescens Keyserling, 1861 described from "Fluss Heri-Rud bei Herat" (the Harirud at Herat in Afghanistan, formerly part of Persia) is a synonym. Bungia Keyserling, 1861 is a synonym of Gobio Cuvier, 1816 (Eschmeyer, 1990).

This species is represented in Iran by the subspecies Gobio gobio lepidolaemus Kessler, 1872, originally described as Gobio fluviatilis var. lepidolaemus from Ak-darja and Chodshaduk in the Zeravshan River basin, Uzbekistan and the Syr Darya at Khodzhent, Tajikistan. This subspecies is distinguished from the typical gudgeon by having a scale-covered throat, deep body, deep and short caudal peduncle, slightly notched or emarginate caudal fin and small size (Amanov, 1972). Berg (1948-1949) considers that these characters would be sufficient to distinguish this taxon as a full species but there are intermediate forms. Interestingly, Reshetnikov and Shakirova (1993) list Gobio lepidolaemus as a full species.

Also in the western Caspian Sea basin as Gobio gobio lepidolaemus natio holurus Berg, 1914 (the Terek gudgeon or Terskii peskar') but not recorded from Iranian waters and considered to represent intergrades between G. gobio gobio and G. gobio lepidolaemus by Bănărescu in Bănărescu (1999).

A syntype from Khodzhent of Gobio gobio lepidolaemus measuring 49.7 mm standard length is in the Natural History Museum, London under BM(NH) 1897.7.5:26, formerly in St. Petersburg University, a syntype is in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg under ZISP 2078 or 2076, and a possible syntype is in the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University under MMSU P.1052. Svetovidova (1978) refers to ZISP 2078 as the holotype on page 257 and ZISP 2076 as the holotype on page 262 (Eschmeyer et al., 1996).

Key characters

See above. This is the only gudgeon in eastern Iran and is separated from other cyprinids by the meristic characters, presence of barbels, absence of fin spines, mouth not transverse or crescentic but horseshoe-shaped, and colour pattern. It is separated from the only other related species in Iran (Romanogobio persus) by having the body and caudal peduncle compressed (caudal peduncle depth at anal fin insertion greater than caudal peduncle width) and by well-defined spots on the dorsal and caudal fins. This subspecies is also characterised by all members of the population having scales on the breast, absent or variably developed in other subspecies and populations to the west.

Morphology

Usmanova (1975) found differences between populations of this species in Uzbekistan associated with habitat. Fish from more stable habitats have deeper and wider bodies and reduced fin sizes.

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-8, usually 7, after 2-4 unbranched rays, anal fin branched rays 5-8, usually 5 (Amanov, 1972 - an error, see below) or 6 (Usmanova, 1975; Banarescu and Nalbant, 1973) after 2-3 unbranched rays, pectoral fin branched rays 13-17 and pelvic fin branched rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 33-46, usually 37-42 and averaging less than 40 (Bănărescu in Bănărescu (1999)). Scales have posterior radii only (or, if present, very few anterior radii) and the scale focus is subcentral anterior but not very eccentric in small fish, very eccentric in large fish. The anterior scale margin is rounded to wavy. There is a pelvic axillary scale. The anus is separated from the anal fin origin by 5-6 closely overlapping scales and is near the end of the pelvic fins but underneath them. Pharyngeal teeth 3,5-5,3 usually but Pipoyan (1998) found 21 variant counts for 141 Gobio gobio in Armenia with 3,5-5,3 (34.0%), 2,5-5,2(22.7%), 2,5-5,3(10.0%) and other combinations at about 2% or less. The anterior teeth are blunt with small hooks, conical and short and are followed by long, thin, strongly hooked teeth (the description of Bungia nigrescens may be in error in stating that there is only one row of teeth but Pipoyan (1998) notes that Gobio gobio in Armenia are exceptionally uniserial). Total gill rakers 1-7, only developed rakers being counted and anterior rakers reduced to bumps not included. Developed rakers are stubby and may or may not touch the adjacent raker when appressed. Total vertebrae 33-42 (this wide literature range may reflect the wide species range but could also include specimens counted in varying ways). The gut is an elongate s-shape with a slight anterior loop. The chromosome number is 2n=50 (Klinkhardt et al., 1995; Bănărescu in Bănărescu, 1999).

Meristics in Iranian fish are as follows: branched dorsal fin rays 7(4), branched anal fin rays 6(4), branched pectoral fin rays 15(2), 16(1) or 17(1), branched pelvic fin rays 7(4); lateral line scales 37(1), 38(2) or 39(1), scales around caudal peduncle 14(2) or 16(2); total gill rakers 5(1) or 6(2); pharyngeal teeth 3,5-5,3(1), 3,5-4,3(1) or 3,4-5,2 or 3(1); and total vertebrae 38(2) or 39(1).

Sexual dimorphism

Snout length, depth of the head at the occiput, eye diameter, greatest body depth and thickness, predorsal distance, pectoral-pelvic fin distance, and barbel length are greater in females than males while caudal, pectoral and pelvic fin lengths and height of dorsal fin are greater in males. Females reach larger sizes than males (Usmanova, 1975). Males darken in the spawning season. Fine tubercles develop on the side and upper surface of male heads, on the upper flank and back anteriorly, and the 8 outer rays of the pectoral fin.

Colour

The top of the head, the back and the flanks above the lateral line are dark brown and may have a greenish tinge. The lower flanks are paler and may have a silvery tinge or be a light yellow. The mid-flank bears a row of 6-13 dark spots which may merge into a line, merge in pairs or form a lattice. The back may have 4-5 longitudinal dark bands with a variegated pattern. The dorsal and caudal fins have 3-5 rows of spots, the pectoral fins have several rows of small spots and the pelvic and anal fins may also have 2-6 rows of spots but are often colourless. The peritoneum is silvery.

Colour may vary with habitat, being more uniform and darker on a monotonous background and more spotted and lighter on a gravelly background.

Size

Attains 20.0 cm total length for the species, 11.1 cm for lepidolaemus.

Distribution

Found from the British Isles and north of the Pyrenees through much of Europe north of the Alps to Siberia. The subspecies considered here is found only in the Tedzhen or Hari River basin in Iran (Abdoli, 2000). It is also found in north flowing rivers of the Kopetdag in Turkmenistan and eastwards in Central Asia to the Chu River in Kyrgyzstan. The natio holurus is found in the Kuma, Terek and Sulak rivers of the western Caspian shore but not as far south as waters neighbouring Iran.

This species is also recorded from the Karakum Canal and Kopetdag Reservoir in Turkmenistan (Shakirova and Sukhanova, 1994; Sal'nikov, 1995) and may eventually reach Iranian waters in the Caspian Sea basin.

Zoogeography

This is a widely distributed and very variable species with many taxa listed as subspecies, potentially species if further investigated. As part of a gobionine fauna found across Eurasia, this wide distribution may be suggestive of further work that could be done to clarify relationships of these fishes.

Habitat

This gudgeon is found in rivers near the bank where there is a sand or fine gravel bottom and in inlets, backwaters and weed beds of irrigation canals in the Kashkadar'ya of Uzbekistan (Usmanova, 1975). It prefers stagnant water in the Surkhandar'ya of Uzbekistan (Amanov, 1972). Gudgeons are generally resistant to pollution and varying environmental conditions although there is little information on the eastern Iranian subspecies.

Age and growth

Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 1 year and a length of 3.9-4.3 cm in females from the Kashkadar'ya in Uzbekistan, at 4.6-5.3 cm in the Surkhandar'ya, or at 2-3 years and 3-7 cm in reservoirs in Uzbekistan; also reported as 2-3 years in the Issyk Kul' and the Chu River (Usmanova, 1975). Life span is over 4 years (Amanov, 1972).

Food

Food is mainly benthic invertebrates, chiefly insect larvae such as chironomids in Iranian fish, but varied items may be taken depending on the water body and food availability. Abdoli (2000) lists Chironomidae, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. Some insects falling on the water surface are taken. Remains of terrestrial plants, green algae and detritus have also been recorded (Usmanova, 1975). Detritus and vegetation (mostly diatoms) dominate in some gut samples, followed by insect larvae and benthopelagic crustaceans, and occasionally fish eggs. Other samples show chironomid larvae to be the main diet item or cladocerans. Vegetation fragments are apparently seized accidentally with such foods as chironomids (Amanov, 1972).

Reproduction

Spawning is intermittent and takes place from May to August in Uzbekistan, May-July in the Issyk Kul' and May-June in the Chu River (Usmanova, 1975). Up to 12,900 eggs are laid on a clay-sand bottom at 18-20°C (Amanov, 1972). Well-developed eggs are present in Iranian fish caught on 10 November. Elsewhere gudgeons slap the water surface with the rear part of the body, and males and females rub their bodies together while releasing eggs and sperm (Bănărescu in Bănărescu, 1999).

Parasites and predators

None reported from Iran.

Economic importance

Robins et al. (1991) list this species as important to North Americans. Importance is based on its use in aquaria and textbooks. Gudgeons in Europe have been used as bait fish and as food.

Conservation

Lelek (1987) classifies populations of this species in Europe as intermediate to rare.

Further work

The biology of this species in Iran requires study.

Sources

Type material: See above, a syntype of Gobio gobio lepidolaemus (BM(NH) 1897.7.5:26).

Iranian material: CMNFI 2007-0014, 3, 81.5-85.0 mm standard length, Khorasan, Kuh-e Sang Park, Mashhad (ca. 36º18'N, ca. 59º36'E).

Comparative material: SMF 17137, 5, 61.3-84.1 mm standard length, Afghanistan, tributary of the Harirud near Herat (34°21'N, 62°14'E).

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