| Gobio gobio | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Suborder: | Cyprinoidei |
| Family: | Gobionidae |
| Genus: | Gobio |
| Species: | G. gobio |
| Binomial name | |
| Gobio gobio | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Gobio gobio, or thegudgeon orcommon gudgeon, is aspecies offish in thefamilyGobionidae.[2]This small fish is widely distributed in fresh-water streams and lakes across central and temperate Eurasia.
The gudgeon inhabits various fresh-water habitats with sandy bottoms. It is agregarious species, and feeds onbenthic invertebrates. Its life span is up to five years. Gudgeons are usually smaller than 12 cm, rarely over 15 cm long. The common namegudgeon may also refer to other species of fish.
The gudgeon has a long, slender, rounded body and is typically 9–13 cm (3.5–5.1 in) long,[3] but can reach up to 21 cm (8.3 in).[4] It has short dorsal and anal fins that do not have serrated rays. There is a labialbarbel at each corner of its mouth. It has two rows of pharyngeal teeth,conical, and slightly curved at the tip. Its head is wide and flattened, with a rather obtuse snout, the lower jaw being shorter than the upper one. It has relatively largescales and there are 40 to 45 of these along thelateral line. Its swimming bladder is large. Usually greenish brown above and silvery on the sides, this fish has a row of six to twelve faint dark blotches running along the flank. It has a white underside, and itspectoral, ventral, andanal fins are of a grayish-white color with a brownish tinge. The dorsal and caudal fins are pale brown with darker spots.[3]
The gudgeon is present in freshwater systems that drain into the eastern Atlantic Ocean, theNorth Sea andBaltic Sea basins. These drainages include theLoire drainage and the drainages further east, the eastern Great Britain andRhône drainages, the upperDanube and middle and upperDniestr, theBug andDniepr drainages in the Black Sea basin. It is unclear how far into Asia its range extends. It is typically found in lakes, rivers and streams of all sizes that have sandy or gravelly bottoms.[1]
The gudgeon moves in shoals over sandy and gravelly bottoms, feeding on worms, aquatic insects and larvae, small mollusks, ova, and fry. It is normally active during the day. It is capable of emitting squeaking sounds, which are believed to be a means of communication between individuals. It breeds in shallow waters over stones. Eggs are laid from April to August, when water temperatures are above 13 °C. The eggs are released above thesubstrate and drift with the current before adhering to the bottom.[4] The larvae and juveniles feed ondetritus on the bottom.[1] The fingerlings grow to some 12 cm (4.7 in) in the first year and this fish can live for up to five years. The species is much valued for its delicate flavour.
The gudgeon is a common prey of many fish-eating predators likeEurasian otter orcommon kingfisher. In Central Europe, on streams and rivers, gudgeon composes up to 45% of the diet of common kingfisher (by numbers, usually between 25 and 35%) and represented the most hunted fish prey.[5][6][7] One study has shown that gudgeon composed over 80% of the diet of otter by numbers and over 50% of the diet by weight (Chotýšanka stream, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic).[8]
The gudgeon has a wide range and is abundant in many localities. It faces no particular identified threats so theIUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".[1]
