TAXONOMIC STUDY OF THE IBERIAN COBITIS (OSTEICHTHYES, COBITIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

Morphometric and electrophoretic variation are analysed among Iberian and African populations of Cobitis (Cobitidae). Three discrete morphot ypes are distinguished, shelving a remarkable genetic differentiation among them. Each of the three morphotypes is judged to represent a spe cies, one being described as a new species. Both approaches agree on t he separate status of the Iberian populations from the Alagon drainage , Tagus basin of west central Spain. This population is described as a new species, Cobitis vettonica sp. nov., a sexually dimorphic spined leach was assigned to the subgenus Iberocobitis Bacescu, 1961. Morphom etric and electrophoretic data placed this new species phenetically cl ose to Cobitis maroccana Pellegrin, 1929 and Cobitis paludica De Buen, 1930, bur differs from these species in overall shape, male coloratio n pattern, shorter barbels and fins, posterior lamina of the cleithrum , seven branched rays on the dorsal fin and in having a unique alleles at sAAT-2, EST-1* and MPI* loci. The new species range described in this paper is more restricted than that of C. paludica. Both inhabit t he Tagus basin bur have not been reported to be sympatric. (C) 1997 Th e Linnean Society of London