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Nemacheilus starostini
Parin, 1983 |
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The Kughitang blind loach |
Common Name: The
Kughitang blind loach (E); Starostini's blind loach.
Etymology: starostini (L) after I.V. Starostin, a fish
researcher and collector specialized in Turkmenia.
Major Synonyms: Noemacheilus (Troglobitis)
starostini (original description). Paracobitis starostini
(Weber 2000).
History: Seven live individuals and four preserved specimens
were captured in December 1981 by V. Dolzansky, a member of a Moscow
speleological expedition. The head of that expedition, Vladimir Maltsev,
had first found the fish in that very sinkhole five years earlier and
caught several specimens which were lost during shipment. |
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| Morphological Characteristics:
Troglomorphic Characters:
Eye Condition: No externally visible eyes.
Pigmentation: Depigmented.
Scales: Scaleless.
Swim (gas) bladder: No swim bladder.
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| Distribution:
Turkmenistan: Chardzhou province: Khrebet Kughitang (mountains) (several
sinkholes) (ca. 37o 55' N, 66o 23' E). |
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| Habitat and
Ecology: The type locality is a sinkhole of about 19 m in depth with a
seasonally fluctuating water level. A large portion of the pool is
exposed to light part of the time. The pool is connected to an
underwater stream. Up to 40 fish can be observed at a time in the
pool (Smirnov 1983). |
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Food and Feeding:
They feed on insect larvae and small benthic crustaceans (Smirnov 1983). |
| Reproduction and Development: |
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Other Behaviors: No
information available. |
| Conservation
Status: Vulnerable, International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) (D2). Major Threats:
No information available. |
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Conservation Plans: No
information available. |
| Phylogenetic Relationships:
No information available. |
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