Mottled Black Sea Goby
The mud-minnow is a small, reddish-brown, irregularly flecked fish with a rounded caudal fin and a lateral line which takes the form of a light stripe along the sides. The head is covered with scales both on the top and sides. It reaches a length of 13 cm at the most and inhabits the basin of the Danube between Vienna and the river's estuary, the lower reaches of the Dniester and Prut, and the lakes Blatenske and Ncziderske. It prefers waters overgrown with vegetation and therefore especially frequents irrigation canals, pools, and old river courses. It usually lives for only two years or so, during which time it feeds on small planktonic crustaceans and benthic organisms. Similar mud-minnows are found in silt- bottomed lakes, pools, and even swamps, in North America.
The mottled Black Sea goby is a similarly small, yellow-grey or grey-brown fish, which has several crosswise blotches on its sides and which grows to a length of between 7 and 11 cm. Its pelvic fins are joined together to form a sucker disc, whilst its first dorsal fin has soft spines. Its head is flattened on the top and its front nostrils are prolonged to forth tubes, which overhang the upper lip. The lateral line is not developed. The mottled Black Sea goby stays close to the river bed, where it hides amongst the vegetation and lives on small insect larvae and other small invertebrates.
It lives in the brackish waters of rivers opening into the Black Sea, although it can be found in the Danube as far up as the mouth of the River Morava.
Umbra krameri Maximum size and weight:
13 cm, 30 g.
Identifying characteristics:
Dorsal fin placed well clown the back; lateral line forms light stripe on sides. Caudal fin rounded. Head covered with scales on top and at sides.
Proterorhinus marmoratus
Maximum size and weight:
11 cm, 15 g. Identifying
characteristics:
Front nostrils prolonged into tubes overhanging
upper lip. Lateral line not developed.
