Round goby

Neogobius melanostomus

A bottom-dwelling goby native to the Black Sea and Caspian region, notorious as an invasive fish in places such as the Great Lakes.

Key facts

Round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is a carnivore animal classified as Fish · Gobiiformes · Gobiidae.
Primary habitats are freshwater · coast, with a range across Palearctic · Nearctic.
Activity is cathemeral, sociality is loose group, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A bottom-dwelling goby native to the Black Sea and Caspian region, notorious as an invasive fish in places such as the Great Lakes.
Uses brackish waters, estuaries, lakes, and lower rivers with rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Uses brackish waters, estuaries, lakes, and lower rivers with rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms. Ballast water helped it spread to North America.

The body is stout and mottled gray-brown. The pelvic fins are fused into a suction-disc that helps it cling to the bottom.

It swims in short bursts near the bottom and defends crevices or artificial structures. Males guard breeding sites.

It eats mussels, small crustaceans, aquatic insects, fish eggs, and small fish, competing with native fishes in invaded waters.

From spring to summer, males guard cavities where females attach eggs to ceilings or rock surfaces. Males care for the eggs until hatching.

Round goby tolerates fresh and brackish water and can alter invaded food webs, making it a well-known invasive species.