| Sand goby | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Gobioidei |
| Family: | Gobiidae |
| Subfamily: | Gobiinae |
| Genus: | Pomatoschistus |
| Species: | P. minutus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus), also known as a polewig[1] or pollybait,[1] is a coastal goby of European waters from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea, frequenting sandy areas, Littoral zones, lagoons, salt marshes and, in autumn, estuaries. It grows up to 94mm in length.
The sand goby is of a sandy colour, with darker markings on the sides and a creamy-white underside. In the breeding season the male fish has blue spot at the rear of the first dorsal fin, ringed with white. The fish has a slender body, and the head is about a quarter of the total length.
It breeds in the summer, laying its eggs under shells and rocks, which the male guards. Its lifespan is between 15–18 months. Its main diet is skeleton shrimp and worms.