Morphological and Ecological Aspects on the Population of Cobitis koreensis KIM (Pisces, Cobitidae) in the Begehon Stream, Puan-gun, Cholla-bugdo, Korea

백천에 서식하는 참종개Cobitis koreensis KIM 개체군의 형태와 생태

Morphological and ecological comparions are made between specimens of Cobitis koreensis KIM and the geographically restricted population of the Cobitid fish which is found along the Begchon stream, Puangun, Cholla-bugdo province over a 12-month period of 1982 and 1983. The Begchon population is tentatively identified as Cobitis koreensis, but the color patterns and two morphometric proportions differ widely fromthose reported previously for this species. In addition to these character, it is easily distinguished from C. koreensis by the smaller body size, by having the larger egg size and the less egg number in female during the breeding season. As the differentiation of this population is primarily due to geographically isolation, it is supposed that Begchon cobitid population may be an undescribed distinct subspecies of K. koreensis or above the conventional subspecies level.