Morphological divergence and diagnostic characters of ginger goby <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neogobius eurycephalus</Emphasis> (Kessler, 1874) and surman goby <Emphasis Type="Italic">N. cephalargoides</Emphasis> Pinchuk, 1976 (Perciformes,Gobiidae)

Comparative analysis of morphometric characters of surman goby Neogobius cephalargoides and of two subspecies of ginger goby N. eurycephalus is made. Characteristics liable to size variation and sex dimorphism are revealed. Independence of the investigated species and the diagnostic value of characters previously suggested for classification are confirmed. The obtained data confirm isolation of north-western populations of ginger goby as a separate subspecies N. eurycephalus odessicus and suitability of three meristic characters for differentiation of the subspecies: the number of rays in the second dorsal fin and anal fin and the number of transverse rows of scales.