Pungitius hellenicus
| Ellinopygósteos | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gasterosteiformes |
| Family: | Gasterosteidae |
| Genus: | Pungitius |
| Species: | P. hellenicus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Pungitius hellenicus Stephanidis, 1971 |
|
The ellinopygósteos (Pungitius hellenicus) is a species of fish in the Gasterosteidae family. It is endemic to Greece. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater spring. It is threatened by habitat loss and considered critically endangered in the International Red List of IUCN, Bern Convention (Appendix III).
A combination of five characters are diagnostic for the ellinopygósteos species: caudal peduncle keel absent, its ectocoracoid reduced, dorsal spines fewer than seven, pelvic girdle absent or vestigial, and large lateral scutes absent. Body moderately compressed. Head conical and interorbital area flattened. Bones weakly ossified and sculpturing poorly developed on the cranial bones. Mouth slightly supraterminal, oblique, and continuous groove separating upper lip from maxillary. Numerous small sharp teeth confined to upper and lower jaws, absent on roof of mouth. Gill membranes extending forward, broadly joined to each other, and free from isthmus. Gill rakers 7-10. Opercular opening extending above pectoral fin base. Pectoral fin soft rays 10 (rarely 11). Dorsal fin spines 2-6, isolated (with small triangular fin membrane), directed posteriorly and not inclined from middorsal line, and depressible in shallow groove. First dorsal spine shortest and last one longest. Dorsal fin soft rays 8-11. Anal fin with one spine and 6-10 soft rays. Caudal fin with 12 soft rays, rounded, and deeper than wide. Vertebrae 29-30 (usually 30) with 12-13 precaudal vertebrae. Lateral line inconspicuous with 28-38 (usually 32) small round scutes. The longest reported specimens are 50 mm. Background color pale olive, sides of the body pigmented with dark bars or blotches.
This species is confined to three localities in the Spercheios valley in central Greece: the Aghia Paraskevi Spring, 5 km east of Lamia, and an associated system of drainage channels extending over the areas Diplosoudi and Bourdara, a large system of connected drainage and irrigation channels and natural wells extending over the areas Lykochoria and Kaikia near the village of Moschochori, and a small number of natural wells near the village of Kompotades. The species is abundant in some channels of the Lykochoria area, but is moderately abundant or rare in the rest of its range.
...
Wikipedia