Scientific Name
Pomatoschistus minutus

Common Name
Sand goby

Biology
This occasionally schooling species is found in inshore sandy and muddy areas. Juveniles found in lower estuaries. Mainly diurnal, this species feeds on small polychaetes, amphipods (corophiids, caprellids), cumaceans and mysids (Ref. 4696). Spawns in summer in shallow waters. Male lures the female into an empty bivalve shell where she lays a portion of eggs. Guarded by the male for 10 days until larvae about 3 mm long. Larvae are pelagic at first. Young fish only start to live at the bottom when 17-18 mm (Ref. 35388).

Classification

Classified By

Pallas, 1770

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Gobies (Gobiidae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: from Norway to Spain (Ref. 51442); also Mediterranean Sea (Ref. 51442) and Black Sea, but probably not throughout. Pomatoschistus minutus elongatus exists in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Range

71°N - 35°N, 11°W - 34°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

8 °C

Water Temperature To

24 °C

Depth From - meters

4 m

Depth To - meters

200 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 4 - 200 m

Trophic Level

3.16 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

11.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5002 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: public aquariums

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (15 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.93; tm=0.7; tmax=2.7; fec = 5,231)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated