spinosus, Benthophilus Kessler [K. F.] 1877:50 [The Aralo-Caspian Expedition; ref. 2597] Middle Caspian Sea, depth 140 feet [20 Russian fathoms]. Lectotype: ZISP 10896. Syntypes: (5) BMNH 1897.7.5.17 [ex MLSU] (1), others lost. Lectotype selected by Boldyrev & Bogutskaya 2007:81 [ref. 29150]. •Valid as Benthophilus spinosus Kessler 1877 -- (Berg 1949:1117 [ref. 20662], Coad 1995:30 [ref. 23608], Reshetnikov et al. 1997:753 [ref. 24702], Vasil'eva 1998:130 [ref. 23591], Pinchuk & Miller in Miller 2004:251 [ref. 27853], Bogutskaya & Naseka 2004:219 [ref. 28183], Boldyrev & Bogutskaya 2007:79 [ref. 29150], Neilson & Stepien 2009:96 [ref. 30487], Esmaeili et al. 2010:377 [ref. 33391], Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. 2015:898 [ref. 34062], Esmaeili et al. 2017:81 [ref. 35254], Esmaeili et al. 2018:63 [ref. 36089], Parenti 2021:71 [ref. 38603], Zarei et al. 2022:170 [ref. 39576]). Current status: Valid as Benthophilus spinosus Kessler 1877. Gobiidae: Gobiinae. Distribution: Eurasia: Caspian Sea basin. Habitat: brackish.