| Painted goby | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Gobiidae |
| Subfamily: | Gobiinae |
| Genus: | Pomatoschistus |
| Species: | Pomatoschistus pictus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pomatoschistus pictus (Malm, 1865) |
|
| Synonyms | |
The Painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus) is a small goby of Western European waters from Trondheimfjord to Spain, the Canary islands and is sometimes reported in the Mediterranean sea[1]. Also mentioned in the Black Sea.[2] It lives at depths between 1 and 55 metres, preferring a gravelly or sandy environment. Its young may sometimes be found in tide pools. It feeds on amphipods and copepods.
The painted goby is a relatively small goby, only growing to 6cm in length, although some may grow to 9.5cm. It is fawn-brown, with a row of four double dark brown spots along the sides. The dorsal fin has rows of dark brown-black spots interspersed with bands of iridescent blue and pink.
