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Goby

Page history last edited by serena cappuccio 10 years, 9 months ago

Goby

Serena Cappuccio

Description

 

Gobies are a type of fish, they are part of the Gobidae family, one of the largest species of fish in the world. There are over 2000 species in this family of fish. Majority of the Goby in this family are tiny, no bigger than 10cm. Gobies are some of the tiniest vertebrates out there in the big ocean.  The most unique features of the goby’s anatomy are the attached pelvic fins that make a saucer shape sucker. This sucker is functionally similar to the dorsal fin- sucker controlled by the remoras or the pelvic fin sucker of the lump suckers, but is physically different; these resemblances are the result of evolution. Gobies can be seen using the sucker to stick to rocks and corals, also, in aquariums, they will stick to glass walls of the tank they are in as well. They range from many different colours, they can also be transparent. They also have big black beady eyes. 

 

Goby. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 20 May 2013.http://quest.eb.com/images/106_938993

 

Habitat

 

The goby’s habitat is usually in shallow ocean environments, such as coral reefs and sea grass fields. They are also commonly found in regions where rivers flow straight into the ocean and in mangrove swamps. A few of the goby species are found in freshwater, in example we have the Australian desert goby, the Asian river goby and the European freshwater goby. They are found in oceans in Europe and Asia. 

 

Predator Adaptations

 

Gobies are omnivores. They feed on a vast selection of small organisms like crabs, shrimps, smaller crustaceans, mollusks like zebra mussels, annelids such as worms, sponges, smaller types of fish, eggs of various fish, plankton and algae. Majority of gobies are quite picky with their feeding habits, favoring an individual prey item, such as algae or small invertebrate. Others have developed uncommon versions of feeding in habitats previously off-limit to fish. 

 

 

Prey Adaptations

 

Gobies are preyed by gulls, sea birds, other larger fish, like the Actinopterygians, Hydrophiidae; sea snakes. These predators have had the fish develop strange behaviours to protect themselves; camouflage! They rarely leave their homes and display a wide range of coloration for camouflaging with their environment

 

 

Symbiosis 

The symbiosis of a goby is Mutualism. Mutualism is when both or more organisms benefit from each other, for example; the goby uses the shrimp's habitat as protection from predators. The goby also acts as eyes for the pistol shrimp. Through out the day, the goby swims above the burrow, feeding and socializing with other types of gobies. Meanwhile, the shrimp uses its antennae to stay in persistent contact with the goby's tail while looking for food (detritus, tiny crustaceans and worms) and keeping the burrow opening open. If a predator fish approaches, the goby flicks its tail several times, alarming the shrimp to retreat into its burrow. When the predator comes within arresting distance, the goby will bolt head first inside the burrow. During the night, the two, goby and pistol shrimp, rest together in the burrow.

 

Species Comparison

 

I have compared my species to the Sardine. Like the Goby, Sardines are rather small, 15 cm. They travel in large herds and they look fairly similar. Unlike the Goby, there aren't over two thousand species of Sardine, there are thirteen. Like the Goby, Sardines are found in sea's in Europe and Asia. 

 

Resources: 

Modeling Dispersal and Predator-Prey Interactions of Invasive Species in ArcGIS

Megan C. Fencil

Final project report for CE 394K: GIS in Water Resource Management

 

Gobiidae

 

Wikipedia

This page was last modified on 31 May 2013 at 08:14

 

Pistol Shrimp & Gobies: A Safe Alliance


Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

 

 

 

 

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