Nine species of the family Cobitidae live in Croatia. Seven species belong to the genus Cobitis and one each to the genera Sabanejewia and Misgurnus. Species such as the C. jadovaensis Mustafić et Mrakovčić, 2008, C. bilineata Canestrini, 1866, C. dalmatina Karaman, 1928, C. illyrica Freyhof et Stelbrink, 2007 and C. narentana Karaman, 1928 live in the Adriatic River Basin (the northern Mediterranean), while the C. elongatoides Bacescu et Maier, 1969, C. elongata Heckel et Kner, 1858, S. balcanica Karaman, 1922 and M. fossilis Linnaeus, 1758 inhabit watercourses of the Danube River Basin. Although most Adriatic taxa appear to be endemic to this area, some researchers have revealed new phylogenetic relationships, suggesting the possibility of more recent taxa exchange with Danube freshwater fish fauna. All members of these genera inhabit either running and/or standing waters. According to IUCN methodology, S. balcanica, C. elongata and M. fossilis in the Danube watershed and C. dalmatina and C. narentana in the Adriatic watershed have been classified as vulnerable. C. elongatoides is in the lower risk category. The newly determined species C. bilineata, C. illyrica and C. jadovaensis will be in the endangered category. Here we present the majority of a total of 20 areas and water bodies included in the proposal of Natura 2000 and which have been selected for the conservation of the species from the family of the Cobitidae.
A new spined loach species Cobitis jadovaensis is described from the Jadova River in Croatia. This species differs from its congeners in the Croatian Adriatic basin with a unique set of characters: a very short dorsal fin base; short anal fin base; narrow head; a single lamina circularis; a single small prominent dark inclined spot on the upper part of the caudal base; all four Gambetta zones well developed and reaching beyond the dorsal base; zones Z1 and Z3 with many irregular spots; zone Z1 narrower than Z2; zone Z2 as wide as Z3; zone Z2 with spots larger than a pupil size fuses with Z3 on caudal peduncle; zone Z4 wider than Z2 and Z3, with 11 – 14 roundish to oval blotches.