Scientific Name
Aphia minuta

Common Name
Transparent goby

Biology
A neotenic, pelagic species inhabiting inshore and estuarine waters, over sand, mud and eel-grass (Ref. 4343). Feed on zooplankton, especially copepods, cirripede larvae and mysids (Ref. 4343). Spawn in summer in empty bivalve shells (Ref. 35388). Probably migrate to deeper water to spawn during summer (Ref. 57814). Adults die after breeding (Ref. 4696) which does not qualify as a manifestation of semelparity but abbreviate iteroparity according to a recent study (Ref. 81039). Eggs are pear-shaped (Ref. 4696).

Classification

Classified By

Risso, 1810

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Gobies (Gobiidae)

Distribution

Region

Atlantic Ocean

Distribution

Atlantic Ocean: Trondheim to Morocco. Also known from the Mediterranean including Black Sea and the Azov Sea (Ref. 57814).

Range

65°N - 31°N, 11°W - 34°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

13 °C

Water Temperature To

16 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

97 m

Zone

pelagic-neritic

Environment

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 97 m (Ref. 57814), usually 5 - 80 m (Ref. 57814)

Trophic Level

3.1 s.e. 0.28 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

7.9 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.0000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (10 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K>0.3; tm=1; tmax=1; Fec = 935)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated