9. Benthophilus grimmi Kessler, 1877, Grimm’s Tadpole Goby

Benthophilus grimmi Kessler, 1877: 59, pl. V, fig. 13; type locality: South Caspian Sea, south of Baku, Azerbaijan; lectotype: BMNH 1897.7. 5.15, paralectotypes: (7)? NMW 76987 (1), SPU 394 [465/412] (1), ZIN 10893 (1).

Etymology: The specific name honors O. von Grimm, the Russian ichthyologist.

Distribution and habitat: Western part of the Middle Caspian Sea and the northwest South Caspian Sea from Chechen Island (Russia) to south of Apsheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan (Fig. 11A). Eurybathic, found over a considerable depth range, from 2–227 m under pleio-mesohaline conditions. It reportedly does not enter rivers (Boldyrev & Bogutskaya 2007). No confirmed records from Iran.

IUCN: DD (Bogutskaya 2020d).