Scientific Name
Gobius niger

Common Name
Black goby

Biology
Found in estuaries, lagoons and inshore waters over sand or mud, in seagrass or on algae. Feed on crustaceans (larger amphipods, isopods, shrimps, mysids, small crabs), bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes, chironomid larvae, sometimes small fish (Ref. 4696).

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Gobies (Gobiidae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: throughout North Africa from Cape Blanc, Mauritania north and eastwards to the Suez Canal; also along the eastern Atlantic coast northwards to Trondheim (Norway) and Baltic Sea. Also known from the Black Sea (Ref. 4646).

Range

66°N - 20°N, 18°W - 42°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

8 °C

Water Temperature To

24 °C

Depth From - meters

1 m

Depth To - meters

75 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 1 - 75 m (Ref. 4696), usually 1 - 50 m (Ref. 35388)

Trophic Level

3.2 s.e. 0.44 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

18.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.19-0.3; tm=0.8-2; tmax=4)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated