A new record of Ratan goby - Ponticola ratan (Nordmann, 1840) (Pisces: Gobiidae) in the Black Sea, Romanian coastal waters

In August 2015 we managed to capture a specimen of ratan goby (Ponticola ratan) in the Romanian coastal waters of the Black Sea, near the locality of Sf. Gheorghe (Tulcea County). This is the 7-th signaling for this species in Romanian coastal waters. The previous 6 specimens were recorded in the period 1960-1993, between Mangalia (Constanţa County) and Sulina (Tulcea County). The species was identified by means of meristic characters (number of scales on medial line, number of spiny and soft rays), and morphological particularities (cycloid scales on the nape area and pectoral fin joint). Also, the measurements made, confirmed that the ratio between the head length and total length, which was 33% (TL=8.70 cm vs. Head Length=2.61cm). Another morphological character, specific to this species, is the lower jaw, which exceeds in length the upper jaw. Being a Ponto-Caspian endemite, with low population along the Bulgarian and Romanian coastline, we considered it important to point out this new record. Noting that, being known the trend of sporadic migration of this species, would not be excluded that global warming causes a shift from its normal distribution area, from northern and northeastern (Black Sea) to south-west. Therefore, future research may bring more notifications regarding this species in south-western area of the Black Se

A New Species of the Gobiidae Family in Transylvania Waters: Racer Goby (Babka gymnotrachelus, Kessler 1857)

The racer goby (Babka gymnotrachelus) is one of the well represented Ponto-Caspian goby species in most Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve lakes and channels, including Razim-Sinoe lagoon complex and lower sector of the Danube. Also, the presence of this species is noted in some lakes near Bucharest. The presence of this species in Transylvania has not been reported until now, when our team, while conducting ichthyologic investigations, captured seven specimens from SomeÈ™ River and some of its tributaries, as follows: one specimen was caught in a channel adjacent to Èšaga Mare Lake, one specimen was caught in Someșul Mare River (Mica village, Cluj County), two specimens were captured from the confluence of the Someșul Mic River and FizeÈ™ River. Another two specimens were captured from Fizeș River (Fizeșu Gherlii village, Cluj County) and the last one was also caught from the Fizeș River (Sântioana village, Cluj County). It is possible that the species migrated in Someș Catchment from the Hungarian Danube sector, by the tributaries of Tisa River, or it might have originated from stocking material used in fish farms in Transylvania.The somatic, gravimetric and meristic measurements of the collected specimens were taken in the Acquaculture and Acquatic Organisms Phisyology laboratories from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca and correspond with those mentioned in the published literature regarding this species