Common goby facts for kids
The common goby (scientific name: Pomatoschistus microps) is a small, ray-finned fish. It lives in fresh and salty waters along the coasts of Europe and northern Africa. You can find it from Norway all the way down to Morocco and Mauritania, and even in the Canary Islands. This little fish can grow up to about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long.
Quick facts for kids Common goby |
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What Does the Common Goby Look Like?
The common goby has two fins on its back, called dorsal fins. There's a small space between them. The front dorsal fin has 6 to 8 strong spines. The back one has 8 to 11 soft rays. Its bottom fins, called pelvic fins, are joined together.
This fish has 39 to 51 scales along its side, which is called the lateral line. These scales are a bit bigger than those of its cousin, the sand goby. The tail fin is rounded.
Male common gobies have a clear dark spot on their front dorsal fin. They also have dark marks near the base of their pectoral and tail fins. Their body color is usually light gray or sandy brown. They have faint dark patterns and dark lines on their pale fins. When it's time to breed, the male's color gets darker, and his fins become more colorful. Most common gobies are about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.5 to 2 inches) long. The biggest ones can reach about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches).
How Does the Common Goby Live?
Common gobies lay their eggs from February to September. They usually hide their eggs under shells, stones, or on water plants. After the female lays the eggs, the male guards them. The eggs hatch about nine days later. Common gobies can live for up to three years.
These fish prefer shallow areas with sandy or muddy bottoms. You can find them in places where rivers meet the sea, called estuaries, or in salty lagoons. They live in water from 0 to 12 meters (0 to 40 feet) deep.
Their diet mostly includes small crustaceans, like tiny shrimp. They also eat worms, small copepods (called harpacticoids), amphipods, and larvae of midges (called chironomid larvae). Sometimes they eat mites too. You usually find the common goby in similar places to the sand goby, but in shallower water.
