Proterorhinus semilunaris (Heckel, 1837)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 678-679

Proterorhinus semilunaris

Common name. Western tubenose goby.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Proterorhinus in Black Sea basin by: ○ head length 28–31 % SL / ○ eye diameter 20–28 % HL / ○ 13–16, usually 14½ anal rays / ○ total scales in midlateral series 41–47. Size up to 90 mm SL.

Distribution. Marmara and Black Sea basins, and Maritza and Struma drainages in eastern Aegean. In Danube, historically present up to about Vienna, invasive since 1970s, now reaching upstream to Germany and France. Invaded Baltic and North Sea basins since 1992, now widespread from Sommes ( France) east to Vistula ( Poland). Also in upper Rhône. In South Bug and Dnieper native far upstream. No reports of spread into Anatolia and arrived in North America in 1991 in ballast of ships.

Habitat. A variety of slow-flowing or standing waters, from estuaries to small, slow-flowing pre-montane streams. Usually associated with dense vegetation or coarse rocks. Often very abundant in backwaters and lakes, increasing in reservoirs and canals.

Biology. Spawns first time at 1–2 years, usually for 1–2 seasons, in April–August. Female spawn more than once in a season. Male guard eggs deposited in burrows, larvae and juveniles benthic. Feeds on benthic invertebrates.

Conservation status. LC.

Remarks. Molecular studies revealed different haplotypes within populations in Georgia indicate past hybridisation with P. victori . Further studies are needed to resolve the species diversity of tubenose gobies.

Further reading. Ahnelt et al. 1998 (invasion); Pinchuk et al. 2004a (description, biology); Naseka et al. 2005 (invasion); Stepien & Tumeo 2006 (genetics).

Proterorhinus Kintrishi , Georgia; ~ 60 mm SL.© M. Geiger ( LIB).