Ichthyofauna of the Black Sea Near the Caucasian coast

The purpose of this work is to revise the ichthyofauna of the Black Sea near the Caucasian coast. Analysis of literature sources over the past 20 years and own data obtained in 2015‒2021 during ichthyological studies allowed us to determine the number of fish species in the northeastern and eastern parts of the Black Sea. According to the updated data, 124 species and subspecies of fish belonging to 19 orders and 48 families, including 4 freshwater representatives of the ichthyofauna, have been noted off the coast of the Caucasus to date. Previously unaccounted species for this basin have been added to the updated list: the Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii Hilgendorf, 1880, the Greater amberjack Seriola dumerili(Risso, 1810) and the Dusky spinefoot Siganus luridus (Rüppell, 1828), as well as the Sand steenbras Lithognathus mormyrus (Linnaeus, 1758), which was previously found only off the coast of Romania and later on the Crimean coast. Earlier, some representatives of the ichthyofauna, whose presence here is questionable, were put into the lists of fish of the Caucasian coast. These include the longnose spurdog Squalus blainville (Risso, 1827), percarina Percarina demidoffii Nordmann, 1840, banded dragonet Callionymus fasciatus Valenciennes, 1837, painted goby Pomatoschistus pictus (Malm, 1865), atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789, european conger Conger conger (Linnaeus, 1758), grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus (Linnaeus, 1758), Sphyraena Sphyraena sphyraena (Linnaeus, 1758), picarel Spicara smaris (Linnaeus, 1758). However, other representatives of Mediterranean species may well occur in the extended water area. Given the ongoing mediterranization, it can be assumed that in the future the number of finds of new fish species may increase off the coast of the Caucasus.

Black Sea, Caucasian coast, ichthyofauna, new species, species composition, checklist