Gobius cruentatus

Photo credit: Shahar Chaikin

Size range: 13-18cm

Common size: 13-15cm

Depth range: 10-30 (range of 1-40)

Habitat:

• Hard - rocky, hard bottom, sometime mixed with sediment or Posidonia.

Water column position:

• Benthic

Schooling characteristics:

• Solitary

Colors & patterns:

• Head with red markings, red lips (this cannot be seen in deep waters without a torch)
• 3-4 blotches along back
• Visible rows of sensory papillae
• Young are difficult to identify - usually slender, caramel-beige, speckled
• Very small juveniles (3-4cm) swim above the surface and are translucent

Behavior:

1. Whether the species is:

• Reef-associated - related to sites it inhabits

2. Activity:

• Diurnal

3. Approach:

• Indifferent - but will retreat quickly to shelter when frightened

4. Unique behavior:

Typically found solitary on flat area, next to a cavity. Young more littoral.

5. Feeding characteristic - Carnivore, crustaceavore: crustaceans, echinoderms, polychaetes, shrimps/prawns

Native/Exotic: Native

EM notes: description of special east Mediterranean characteristics.