FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Gobiidae is one of the largest fish families with over 2,000 small to medium-sized bony fish species which are further divided into more than 200 genera and are often called true gobies. This article is about a special goby fish belonging to this family and it includes information about their range, distribution, habitat, description, diet, similar species, life span, feeding, breeding, and nesting habits!
The black goby (Gobius niger) is a small fish belonging to the Gobiidae family and is native to the shallow marine waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. It is a species of ray-finned fish, whose neck is scaled and is uniform blackish-brown, a black spot in the front end of each dorsal fin, and visible dark markings near its large head. These fishes prey on a variety of small fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, and worms. They are quite popular as pets and have high demand in the aquarium trade business. The species was first introduced and described as Gobius niger by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist, and taxonomist in 1758. They are often confused with the rock goby as both share an uncanny resemblance to each other e.g. both have similar colors and patterns. They are usually differentiated by observing their natural habitat as the rock goby lives in rocky areas whereas the black goby (Gobius niger) prefers sandy or muddy regions, or under a rock that is covered by mud. Their range is quite extensive and can be found from Cape Blanc, Mauritania to Trondheim, Norway, all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, and the Baltic Sea. They are generally found at depths of 160 ft (50 m). The typical or standard habitat of the species is usually inshore waters and estuaries, lagoons, sandy or muddy bottoms covered with seagrass and seaweeds, and are occasionally found in freshwater bodies. Want more information about this marine animal including a detailed description of what they look like, their common and scientific name, subspecies, life span, distribution and range, marine biology, and what they eat? Read on to find out!
Learn about some other fish from our channel catfish facts and rainbow trout facts pages.
The black goby (Gobius niger) is a fish belonging to the Animalia kingdom.
The black goby (Gobius niger) belongs to the Actinopterygii class and is the genus of Gobiopsis.
The accurate data about their population size is unknown. But the species face the dangers of extinction as their numbers have been rapidly decreasing and have failed to recover from it for the past few years.
The black goby (Gobius niger) distribution occurs across Europe and the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. They are occasionally found near the north coast of Africa and up to the Baltic Sea. Their range extends up to the coasts of the British Isles. The species is sometimes found along the coast in the Gulf of Finland and Kristiinankaupunki in the Gulf of Botnia.
This marine animal lives in shallow eastern Atlantic waters, the Black sea, and is sometimes found in deep-sea waters. Gobius niger spend their lives in intertidal areas, inshore areas, and in estuaries tidal river areas. They are often found in lagoons, sandy or muddy sea beds surrounded with seagrass and algae, estuaries, inshore waters, under a rock that is covered with mud or sand.
Gobius niger is a solitary species and temporarily pairs up for the breeding season.
The black niger goby is a small fish and its life span varies according to its habitat. Some fishes live for just a year and some up to 10 years.
Species that spend their lives in areas with warm waters reach sexual maturity a few months after birth, while gobies that inhabit cooler environments take about two years to fully mature as adults. Gobius niger breed throughout their distribution, and the breeding season begins in summer. At this time male species begin claiming suitable territories to attract females i.e. shallow weedy, sandy, or muddy areas around plenty of seagrass and other marine plants. Males of this species work hard to build their nests (which are prepared at the bottom of a clean seabed) to impress a female, as they are the ones who inspect the nest and mate with the male whose nest she likes. After pairing up, females lay their eggs in the nest and the male species are responsible to guard and protect them until they hatch. The young larvae are often preyed on by sea snakes.
The IUNC Red List of Threatened Species has classified the Gobius niger species as Near Threatened.
It is a small fish whose common name comes from its dark almost black or brown color, but this piece of information isn't helpful at all, as several other species from the Gobiidae family usually have the same coloration e.g. the rock goby. They are usually black or grayish-brown in color with dark patches running all over their elongated body, a large head marked with black papillae sensory lines, the first dorsal fin is placed quite high or in the front, two triangular dorsal fins both marked with a black spot. All these features are prominent among males than females e.g. the first dorsal fin among male species is more elaborated and noticeable. To help you distinguish the species from other goby fish, here is some additional information and physical description of other goby species. Unlike its common name is not always black, and it isn't even as dark as the mature males of the rock goby species. It has around 32-45 scales, near the lateral line which may be significantly less among rock gobies. The black goby has a rounded and more defined body than the sand goby, common goby, and two-spotted goby. The species also has a large-rounded snout, two dorsal fins that are almost continuous, and soft rays. The latter dorsal fin in contrast to the common and sand gobies occurs after a long gap from the caudal fin.
These fish look fairly cute due to their large head and round eyes.
Gobies typically communicate via visual and chemical channels.
The average length of this Atlantic fish is around 2-2.8 in (5- 7 cm) but can reach a maximum length of 7 in (18 cm)! An octopus is nearly seven times bigger than this fish.
A black goby swims in a swift shooting manner which looks like they are hopping from one place to another.
A black goby weighs around 2.2 oz (63 g ).
These species do not have separate names for their male and female members. They are simply denoted as males and females.
A baby black goby is called a larva.
They are found foraging across their distribution i.e. the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black sea. Their diet is usually made up of marine worms, shrimps, crustaceans, small fish, and polychaetes.
Several marine and land predators like laughing gulls often prey on them.
These species are fairly aggressive, but not as much as the round goby, which is also poisonous. The round goby is also considered problematic because it's linked with a disease outbreak called botulism type E in Great Lakes fish and fish-eating birds. They may attack any fish that tries to invade their territory but are not dangerous to humans. Most gobies are not poisonous and are edible in Chinese cuisine.
No, since this species is classified as Near Threatened we do not recommend you to keep them as pets.
All gobies spend their lives in identical marine habitats but just some different preferences e.g. the rock goby unlike the rest that like living in lagoons, at the bottom of the sea, and mud-covered regions, prefers living in rocky areas with tiny pebbles, and sand.
Here are few species of the Gobiidae family: the black goby, black ray goby, black sailfin goby, black-eyed goby, black clown goby, black watchman goby, black striped goby, black-barred convict goby, black-barred barred goby, black-barred reef goby, black-banded goby, black and white striped goby, black-barred circus goby care, black urchin stung goby, black cap goby, black line goby, black and yellow goby fish, and black watchmen goby. Most gobies are also reef-safe! Others may feed on small ornamental reef crustaceans.
These fish despite their name, sometimes are not fully black and have a giant head for their size. They also work hard to impress females during the breeding season, which is so adorable, don't you agree?
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our meagre fish facts or white tuna facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in our free printable neon goby coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.