Western Tubenose Goby

The species average size is 12.7 centimeters. The body and head is flattened laterally. It has 37–46 large, cycloid scales. Its jaws are equal by length. It has an abdominal sucker without explicit blades. It has no swim bladder. The head's width is usually less than its height. Crown, nape, upper edges of operculums, origins of pectoral fins, belly, and posterior part of throat are covered with cycloid scales. Body color is brown to yellowish-gray with 4–5 dark streaks on back, transforming to spots below the middle of the body. Its fins are typically striped. It reaches 12 centimeters (4.7 in). It differs from the closely related marine tubenose goby P. marmoratus by the head length, which constitutes 28–32% of the fish's standard length. The posterior membrane of first dorsal fin reaches the origin of the second dorsal fin. Arterior naris reaches the upper lip or uppermost margin of the lower lip. Eye diameter is 16–21% of head length. The tubenose gobies have a cylindrical body with a flattened ventral surface. The mouth is wide and slightly subterminal mouth with large lips and no barbels. The first dorsal fin has 7 or 8 spines. The caudal fin is rounded and has a triangular black spot at its base. The ventral fins are fused into a single suction cup shape. The scales are small and cover the top of the head, behind the eyes, and along the midline. …

The species is native to the fresh waters of the Black Sea basin and the Maritza and Struma rivers draining the Aegean Sea. It inhabits the Danube River from the delta to the mouth Morava and in the Danube Lakes, from Prut to Iași. In Bulgaria, it lives in the Kamchiya, Ropotamo, Veleka, and Rezovska rivers. It inhabits the basins of the Dniester and Southern Bug rivers. In the Dnieper river the natural range is from the estuary to Trubizh River. In the basin of the Sea of Azov it lives in the rivers Don, Seversky Donets (to Sviatohirsk), in the estuary of the Kuban River. It also inhabits Lake Neusiedler.

The species is a benthic omnivore (demersal fish). It consumes a large number of benthic invertebrates, such as Chironomidaes, crustaceans, copepods, and ostracods. Gobies will also eat fish larvae; this can negatively impact the ecosystem of the rivers and lakes that tubenose gobies inhabit. In the Věstonice Reservoir (Thaya River, the basin of the Morava River) the larvae of Chironomidae, mostly Phytotendipes gripekoveni comprise 40.2% and Asellus aquaticus 27.6% as well as Corixidae, copepods, Ceratopogonidae, Cladocera, and leeches (Hirudinea).