Rock goby

The rock goby (Gobius paganellus) is a small coastal goby of eastern Atlantic waters, from Scotland to Senegal. It is also reported from the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and is an anti-Lessepsian migrant in the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. There are unconfirmed records from the area around Pointe Noire in Congo-Brazzaville.

Distribution

The rock goby is found in the temperate East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Its range extends from western Scotland southwards to the Azores and Senegal, most of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It sometimes migrates through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It prefers rocky sea floors below the low tidemark, although it can be found in larger rock pools in Summer. It may also live in fresh or brackish water. It can be found at depths of from 0 to 15 metres (0 to 49 ft).

Behaviour

The rock goby eats small crabs and amphipods, polychaetes, larva, small fish, Calanus, copepod, and mites.