Black Goby
Gobius niger
Rock Goby
Gobius paganellus
About
The rock goby is a small, chunky fish that clings to life in the surge zone, tucked under stones and weed on rocky shores. It grows to about 13 cm and can live for up to ten years.
- Length
- 13 cm
- Depth
- up to 15 m
How to tell it apart
Many small gobies look alike at a glance. The rock goby has no black spot on the leading edge of either dorsal fin, a mark that many similar rocky-shore gobies do show.
Appearance
This goby is usually black or dark brown with white blotches scattered over the body, though it can shift its colour. There is no scaling on the neck, and a pale band runs along the top of the first dorsal fin. The two dorsal fins sit close together on the back.
Habitat
Lives on rocky sea floors below the low tide line, down to about 15 m, from the temperate East Atlantic into the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It hides under stones and among weed-covered rocks, in larger rock pools in summer, and can even tolerate fresh or brackish water close to shore.
Diet
Feeds on the seabed, taking crabs, amphipods, isopods, and worms living among the rocks. Young fish eat smaller prey such as tiny copepods and amphipods.
Breeding
Breeds in spring, laying eggs in a single layer under stones and shells near rocky ground. The male guards the eggs closely until they hatch.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
