Cobitis minamorii

Cobitis minamorii is a species of fish in the family Cobitidae found in Honshu, Japan. Five subspecies have been proposed. Japanese name is kogata-suji-shima-dojyô.^[2][3] English name is Small stripe spined loach.^[2] This species is listed as a new species in 2012.^[2][3]

Cobitis minamorii
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cobitidae
Genus:	Cobitis
Species:	C. minamorii
Binomial name
Cobitis minamorii Nakajima, 2012

They inhabit sandy-mud bottoms of the lower reach of rivers and small lowland stream. The number of current population is decreasing because these habitable environment is decreasing.^[3][4]They are found in western Honshu:Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Osaka, Kyoto, Shiga, Mie, Gihu, Aichi, Shizuoka.^[4]

Their spawning season is May-August. They invade a temporary wetland such as rice field and lay eggs at the bottom of the mud. These eggs hatch during one day. They mature in one year and live in approximately 3-5 years under breeding. They grow up to 10 cm in total length.^[3][4] Minamorii, their specific name, comes from Japanese resercher who study speciation of Japanese loaches first. ^[2]

Subspecies

There are currently 5 recognized subspecies:

• Cobitis minamorii minamorii Nakajima, 2012 ^[2]
• Cobitis minamorii oumiensis Nakajima, 2012 ^[2]
• Cobitis minamorii saninensis Nakajima, 2012 ^[2]
• Cobitis minamorii tokaiensis Nakajima, 2012 ^[2]
• Cobitis minamorii yodoensis Nakajima, 2012 ^[2]