Abstract
The craniological analysis of Cobitis derzhavini from the Mingechaur Reservoir system and C. saniae from the Malyi Kyzylagach Bay drainage and the Alvady River in Azerbaijan did not reveal any fundamental differences in the general morphology of the neurocranium and cranial bones between these species, as well as from the previously studied C. taenia, C. melanoleuca and C. taurica. However, C. derzhavini showed high level of diversity from other Cobitis species in the proportions of some bones, at first, operculum. The results confirm that C. derzhavini is a separate species characterized by a predominance of opercular bone with weakly excised posterior margin, in contrast to opercular bone with deeply excised posterior margin observed in other craniologically studied species of Cobitis and Sabanejewia.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Scientific investigations of EV are supported by the State Project of ZMMU АААА-А16- 116021660077-3.
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Vasil’eva, E.D., Vasil’ev, V.P. Craniological Divergence of Two Genetically Closely Related Caucasian Spined Loaches: Cobitis saniae and C. derzhavini (Cobitidae). J. Ichthyol. 60, 555–561 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945220040207
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945220040207