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Loach goby (Rhyacichthys aspro) — Rhyacichthyidae

Loach goby

Rhyacichthys aspro
DD · Data Deficient

The Loach goby (Rhyacichthys aspro) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Rhyacichthyidae that grows up to 25 cm.

Length
25 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0–? m
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The loach goby is a remarkable goby relative from the Indo-Pacific, ranging from Indonesia and the Philippines to Taiwan, China and some Japanese islands. The species grows to about 25 cm and has a flattened head with the eyes on top, a streamlined body and greatly enlarged pectoral fins with which it can cling to rocks in fast-flowing hill streams. It is amphidromous and tolerates fresh, brackish and salt water; with its inferior mouth it grazes algae and diatoms. Owing to insufficient data the IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient (DD).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Loach goby?

The Loach goby has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Loach goby live?

The Loach goby lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Loach goby get?

The Loach goby grows to a maximum of about 25 cm.

Is the Loach goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Loach goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Loach goby edible?

The Loach goby is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Loopgrondel verified
English name
Loach goby verified
Scientific name
Rhyacichthys aspro
Family
Rhyacichthyidae
Other names
Loach goby verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0 sourced
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

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