Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Temperate; 52°N - 43°N, 17°E - 30°E
Europe: Dniestr and tributaries of lower and middle Danube drainage (Black Sea basin); upper Vistula drainage in Poland (Baltic Basin). Systematics of sand gudgeon has not been resolved and several species seem to be confused under the name of Romanogobio kesslerii.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1441); common length : 12.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1441); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 59043)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 6. Diagnosed from its congeners in Baltic and Black Sea basins by the possession of the following characters: predorsal scales with longitudinal epithelial crests; scale rows between lateral line and pelvic origin 3; scale rows around caudal peduncle 12; dorsal fin with 8½ branched rays; anal fin with 6½ branched rays; eye small, diameter 20-28% HL, 1.0-1.3 times in interorbital distance; body depth 14-21% SL (Ref. 59043).
Adults inhabit fast-flowing piedmont rivers with large areas of sand bottom. They live in groups. Juveniles and adults are active during day. Preyson a variety of benthic invertebrates, usually catching drifting prey. Spawning occurs in shallow areas over gravel, sand or plant material in fast-flowing water. Gradual decline is expected due to on-going economic development. Are sensitive to organic pollution (Ref. 59043).
Both sexes move to surface or open water to spawn. Eggs are released in successive portions and drift with current, sink to bottom and stick to substrate (Ref. 59043).
Naseka, A.M. and J. Freyhof, 2004. Romanogobio parvus, a new gudgeon from River Kuban, southern Russia (Cyprinidae, Gobioninae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 15(1):17-23. (Ref. 52363)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00603 (0.00290 - 0.01252), b=3.12 (2.95 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Generation time: 1.8 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
![Image of Romanogobio kesslerii (Kessler\](/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Rokes_u1.jpg "Image of Romanogobio kesslerii (Kessler\")
