33. Ponticola hircaniaensis Zarei, Esmaeili, Kovačić, Schliewen & Abbasi, 2022 (Fig. 30), Hyrcanian Goby

Ponticola hircaniaensis Zarei, Esmaeili, Kovačić, Schliewen & Abbasi, 2022: 408, figs. 5–6; type locality: Kaboudval Stream, Golestan province, Iran, 36°53’11.0” N 54°53’37.8” E; holotype: ZM-CBSU S101-6, male, 98.5 mm TL, 76.9 mm SL, paratypes: ZM-CBSU S099-1 to S099-12, S100-1 to S100-4, S101-1 to S101-5 & S101-7 to S101-15, additional material: ZM-CBSU S099 (29), ZM-CBSU S100 (26), ZM-CBSU S101 (9).

Etymology: Named for Hyrcania, the Greek name for the south Caspian region where the species occurs.

Distribution and habitat: Endemic to the Kaboudval Stream, a South Caspian Sea sub-basin drainage (Fig. 27A). Its small population is confined to a single area above the Zarrin Gol Dam (Zarei et al. 2022a).

Remarks: Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses have suggested hybridization between P. hircaniaensis and P. gorlap at Kaboudval (Zarei et al. 2022a).

Material examined: types and additional non-type material, Kaboudval Stream, Golestan Province, Iran .

IUCN: NE. Based on a narrow geographic range isolated above the Zarrin Gol Dam (<2 km 2), extensive hybridization with P. gorlap, and other threats, P. hircaniaensis should be labelled as Critically Endangered (CR) (Zarei et al. 2022a).