Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gobiiformes (Gobies) >
Gobiidae (Gobies) > Gobiinae
Etymology: Benthophilus: Greek, benthos = depth of the sea + Greek, phyle, that loves (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal. Temperate
Europe: Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov and Don River.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58669); max. reported age: 1.00 years (Ref. 59043)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 28 - 29. This species is distinguished from all congeners in the Black Sea basin by having the anal-fin origin in front of the vertical through the second dorsal-fin origin and by the combination of the following non-unique characters: body with three dark blotches; often dark spot on back just in front of second dorsal fin; tubercles relatively small so that tubercles and granules on head not clearly different in size; first semicircle blotch narrow, not extending origin of second dorsal fin; absence of granules on caudal peduncle; lm rows of neuromasts 15-21, commonly 17-18; second dorsal-fin segmented rays commonly 7½ -8½ (Ref. 58669).
Prefers fresh and brackish waters, mostly on river mouths (abundant), lower reaches of rivers and reservoirs and does not enter the sea (Ref. 58669, 59043). Lives on silty sand with mollusc shells; feeding mostly on molluscs and crustaceans. Life span about a year; spawns in May to August; females probably lay eggs in 2-3 portions inside or under a mollusc shell; and adults die soon after spawning (Ref. 59043). Invasive in the large tributaries of the Caspian and Black Sea (Ref. 92840).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Boldyrev, V.S. and N.G. Bogutskaya, 2007. Revision of the tadpole-gobies of the genus Benthophilus (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 18(1):31-96. (Ref. 58669)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00708 (0.00333 - 0.01504), b=3.09 (2.92 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
