Rock goby
In Tuscany, Italy
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gobiiformes
Family: Gobiidae
Genus: Gobius
Species:
G. paganellus
Binomial name
Gobius paganellus
Synonyms
  • Bathygobius paganellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Gobius bicolor J. F. Gmelin, 1789
  • Gobius capito Valenciennes, 1837
  • Gobius punctipinnis Canestrini, 1862
  • Gobius capitonellus Kessler, 1874
  • Gobius albosignatus Kessler, 1874

The rock goby (Gobius paganellus) is a small coastal goby of eastern Atlantic waters, from Scotland to Senegal.[2] It is also reported from the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and is an anti-Lessepsian migrant in the Gulf of Eilat and Red Sea. There are unconfirmed records from the area around Pointe Noire in Congo-Brazzaville.[3]

Description

The rock goby is usually black with white blotches, but they can change color, and males are much more black when guarding the eggs. The neck area lacks scales and there is a pale band on the top of the first dorsal fin. Both dorsal fins lack black spots on their leading edges. This species can reach a length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) TL and has been known to live for ten years.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The rock goby is found in the temperate East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Its range extends from western Scotland southwards to the Azores and Senegal, most of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It sometimes migrates through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It prefers rocky sea floors below the low tidemark, although it can be found in larger rock pools in Summer. It may also live in fresh or brackish water. It can be found at depths of from 0 to 15 metres (0 to 49 ft).[3]

Behaviour

The rock goby eats small crabs and amphipods, polychaetes, larva, small fish, Calanus, copepod, and mites.[3]

Reproduction

The rock goby reproduces in spring. It nests in rocky areas near the kelp forest, Up to 7000 eggs are laid, in a single layer, under rocks and shells. The eggs (up to 7000) are laid in a single layer (2.5 mm in height) and guarded aggressively by the male. The eggs hatch in about 19 days.

References

  1. ↑ Carpenter, K.E.; Smith-Vaniz, W.F.; de Bruyne, G. & de Morais, L. (2015). "Gobius paganellus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T198662A21913408. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198662A21913408.en.
  2. ↑ Miller P.J. (1986) Gobiidae. In: Whitehead P.J.P., Bauchot M.-L., Hureau J.-C., Nielsen J., Tortonese E. (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Vol. 3. UNESCO, Paris.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Gobius paganellus" in FishBase. June 2013 version.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.