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Brown goby (Awaous lateristriga) — Gobiidae

Brown goby

Awaous lateristriga
Family: Gobiidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown goby (Awaous lateristriga) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 14 cm.

Length
14 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

Awaous lateristriga, the West African freshwater goby, is a goby of the family Gobiidae from coastal rivers of West Africa. The species has an elongate, brownish body with a lateral stripe along the flank and reaches about 14 cm. It is amphidromous: the fish live and grow up in fresh water, but the larvae are washed to sea and return later. It occurs mainly in the lower courses of rivers, from fresh to brackish water. As a bottom dweller it takes mouthfuls of sand to sift out small invertebrates, algae and detritus. Owing to its small size the species has limited fishery importance.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown goby?

The Brown goby has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Brown goby live?

The Brown goby lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Brown goby get?

The Brown goby grows to a maximum of about 14 cm.

Is the Brown goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Brown goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Brown goby edible?

The Brown goby is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
West-Afrikaanse zoetwatergrondel sourced
English name
Brown goby verified
Scientific name
Awaous lateristriga
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Freshwater goby; West African freshwater goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
14.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Awaous

More from the family Gobiidae

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