Pomatoschistus flavescens (Fabricius, 1779)
Two-spotted goby
Pomatoschistus flavescens
photo by Svensson, A.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobionellinae
Max. size:  6 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 2 years
Environment:  reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 5 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: Faeroes, VesterĂ¥len (Norway), and western Baltic to north-west Spain, excluding south-eastern North Sea. Reported from Estonia (Ref. 33247). Mediterranean reports, from Sicily and the Adriatic, require confirmation (Ref. 13729).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 7. Black spot on each side of the caudal peduncle. Males with a second similar spot behind each pectoral fin (Ref. 35388); eyes situated laterally; fully scaled; possess functioning suckers; caudal fins slightly notched (Ref. 92840).
Biology:  Suprabenthic (Ref. 92840). Found inshore in groups around over-grown structures and among Laminaria or Zostera beds. Adults feed on small crustaceans (copepods, amphipods, mysids) and chaetognaths (Ref. 4696). Eggs are about 1 mm long, pear-shaped, and adhere to seagrass or weeds; hatch in 10 days (Ref. 4696). Pelagic larvae hatch at 2.5 mm length (Ref. 35388).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 March 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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