Goby

Many, e.g.

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Gobius

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Pomatoschistus

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Microgobius

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Periophthalmus

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The Gobies form the family Gobiidae, and are one of the largest families of fish, with over 2000 known species. Most are relatively small, typically less than 10 cm (4 in) in length. The smallest vertebrates in the world are gobies of the genera Trimmatom and Pandaka, which are under 1 cm (3/8 in) long when fully grown. There are some large gobies, such as species of Gobioides, that can reach well over 30 cm (1 ft) in length, but that is exceptional. Although few are important as food for humans, they are of great significance as prey species for commercially important fish like cod, haddock, sea bass, and flatfish. Several gobies are also of interest as aquarium fish, in particular the bumblebee gobies of the genus Brachygobius.

Related Topics:
Family - Fish - Species

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The most distinctive aspect of goby morphology are the fused pelvic fins that form a disc-shaped sucker. In function this sucker is analogous to the dorsal fin sucker possessed by the remora or the pelvic fin sucker that the lumpfish has, but is anatomically a quite distinct structure, and thus any similarities are the product of convergent evolution. Gobies can often be seen using the sucker to adhere to rocks and corals, and in aquaria they will happily stick to glass walls of the tank as well.

Related Topics:
Remora - Lumpfish - Convergent evolution

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Gobies are primarily fish of shallow marine habitats including tide pools, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows; they are also very numerous in brackish water and estuarine habitats including the lower reaches of rivers, mangrove swamps, and salt marshes. A small number of gobies (unknown exactly, but in the low hundreds) are also fully adapted to freshwater environments. These include the Asian river gobies (Rhinogobius spp.), the desert gobies of Australia (Redigobius), and the European freshwater goby Padagobius martensii.

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