A new fish species recorded for the Upper Mur River
During samplings in 2014, scientists of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna caught several specimens of a gudgeon-like fish in the Mur River, which differentiated from sympatric Gobio obtusirostris through their large fins, elongated body shape and habitat use. Morphological studies showed that these specimens did not belong to any of the three Romanogobio species native in Austria. Preliminary DNA barcoding by the team of the ABOL Pilot study Vertebrates at the Karl-Franzens University in Graz identified the fish as a potential new species of the genus Romanogobio, as the data did not match other Eurasian gudgeons. First investigations on the range of this new species indicated that it is rather restricted and its habitat use is very similar to that of juvenile grayling. Due to its green sheen as an adult the common name emerald-gudgeon is suggested for the species.
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