Sand goby

Taxobox
name = Sand goby


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Gobiidae
genus = "Pomatoschistus"
species = "P. minutus"
binomial = "Pomatoschistus minutus"
binomial_authority = (Pallas, 1770)"For the unrelated goby family see Kraemeriidae."

The sand goby "(Pomatoschistus minutus)", also known as a polewig [http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=polewig "Polewig" and "pollybait" in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary] ] or pollybait, is a coastal goby of European waters from the Baltic to the mediterranean seas, 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. laid under small rocks and shells. Male guards the eggs. Its lifespan is between 15-18 months. Its main diet is skeleton shrimp and worms.

References