Gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) of the oldest and deepest Caspian Sea sub-basin: an evidence-based annotated checklist and a key for species identification Author Zarei, Fatah 0000-0001-5552-4301 Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. & fataahzarei @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 5552 - 4301 fataahzarei@gmail.com Author Esmaeili, Hamid Reza 0000-0002-9736-397X Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. & hresmaeili @ shirazu. ac. ir; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9736 - 397 X hresmaeili@shirazu.ac.ir Author Abbasi, Keyvan Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran. Author Kovačić, Marcelo Natural History Museum Rijeka, Lorenzov prolaz 1, HR- 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Author Schliewen, Ulrich K. 0000-0003-0187-4319 SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Department of Ichthyology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany. schliewen @ snsb. de; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 0187 - 4319 schliewen@snsb.de Author Stepien, Carol A. 0000-0002-5544-4333 National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D. C, USA. StepienCA @ si. edu; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5544 - 4333 text Zootaxa 2022 2022-09-28 5190 2 151 193 journal article 153839 10.11646/zootaxa.5190.2.1 60faa853-726d-4b71-a3cb-c21a0087515f 1175-5326 7120060 92BFDA7A-28C0-4816-8A91-CFB842C95E96 37. Proterorhinus nasalis ( De Filippi, 1863 ) ( Fig. 34 ), Eastern Tubenose Goby Gobius nasalis Filippi, 1863: 390 ; type locality: Caspian Sea near Baku , Azerbaijan ; syntypes : BMNH 1869.3 .4.34, MSNG 12655 and 36228; MZUT 672 ; NMW 33894-96 ; ZMB 5015 . Etymology: Latin, nâsus = nose + Latin, - âlis = of or pertaining to. Distribution and habitat: Inshore habitats, wetlands (e.g., Anzali Wetland) and river mouths of the South Caspian Sea sub-basin from Baku , Azerbaijan south to the middle of the basin ( Fig. 27E ) ( Zarei et al. 2022c ). Remarks: Using mitochondrial COI data, Zarei et al. (2022c) employed a phylogenetic and phylogeographical framework to assess the species level status of Caucasian populations of Proterorhinus , previously classified as P. nasalis . Their results suggest that P. nasalis is a biogeographical relict, distributed in inshore habitats of the South Caspian Sea from Baku (its type locality), Azerbaijan south to the middle of the South Caspian Sea basin, whereas tubenose goby populations from the Sea of Azov, Volga River, and North and Middle Caspian Sea sub-basins, north of Baku have the mtDNA of P. semipellucidus ( Kessler, 1877 ) . The latter freshwater tubenose goby in the northern Caspian Sea Proterorhinus semipellucidus originally was identified with multiple gene nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences by Neilson & Stepien (2011) . Material examined: ZM-CBSU S038, 31, Anzali Wetland ; ZM-CBSU S052, 2, Khoshkroud mouth ; ZM-CBSU S072, 2, Shalmanroud mouth ; ZM-CBSU S073, 1, Oshmakroud mouth ; ZM-CBSU S074, 1, Boujagh National Park , Gilan Province , Iran . IUCN: NE. Considering the species narrow geographic range, small population size, and low mtDNA variability, P. nasalis may merit re-examination for an IUCN Red List Threatened Category (i.e., VU, EN or CR) ( Zarei et al. 2022c ).