Racer Goby

Identification

The racer goby is a small goby (8-12 cm) from the Ponto-Caspian region. The body is brown to grey-brown with dark spots and a characteristic unscaled (naked) nape, giving the species its name. The head is broad and flattened. Like all gobies, the pelvic fins are fused into a suction cup.

Ecology

Lives on stony and gravel-rich bottoms in rivers and canals. A bottom-dwelling fish feeding on insect larvae, worms, and small crustaceans. Males guard eggs deposited by females on the undersides of stones.

In the Netherlands

An invasive exotic that arrived in Western Europe via the Rhine-Danube canal, along with other Ponto-Caspian gobies. Less common than the round goby and Kessler's goby. Records are still rare but the species is likely spreading through the river network.