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Abstract

The floral blenny, Petroscirtes mitratus, is a widely distributed comb-tooth blenny in the Indo-West Pacific, previously reported from the southern Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. However, its presence in the northern Persian Gulf had remained undocumented. This study provides the first confirmed record of this species from the northern Persian Gulf, based on a specimen collected from the intertidal zone of Qeshm Island, Iran. The identification was confirmed through an integrative taxonomic approach. Detailed morphological and meristic examinations aligned with the diagnostic characteristics of the species, including the distinctive notched dorsal fin and a dark spot on the pelvic fin. DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene provided molecular validation, with the obtained sequence forming a clade (bootstrap >80%) with other conspecific sequences from across its range. The genetic analysis also revealed clear differentiation from other Petroscirtes species. The study underscores the utility of combining morphological and molecular tools for accurate species identification in crypto-benthic fishes and has important implications for regional biodiversity assessments and conservation planning.

Keywords

COI Biodiversity Blenniiformes Conservation Iran

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The authors transfer the copyrights of their papers to the Iranian Society of Ichthyology. However, the information could be used in accordance with the Creative Commons licence (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Author Biographies

Vahid SHOLEH, Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics, Laboratory, Zoology Section, Biology Department, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 7146713565, Iran.

Shiraz University

Fereshteh POURHOSSEINI, Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics, Laboratory, Zoology Section, Biology Department, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 7146713565, Iran.

Shiraz University

Mohammad Sharif RANJBAR, Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar ‘Abbas, Iran.

Hormuzgan University

How to Cite
ESMAEILI, H. R., SAYYADZADEH, G., AGHAJANI, F., SHOLEH, V., GHOLAMHOSSEINI, A., POURHOSSEINI, F., & RANJBAR, M. S. (2026). DNA barcoding confirms the presence of a cryptic fish species, the floral blenny Petroscirtes mitratus (Teleostei: Blenniidae: Blenniinae) at Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.22034/iji.v12i4.1123
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