Naked gobies are dark greenish-brown with 8-10 light bars running along the sides. They are the most abundant goby species in the Chesapeake Bay. (Chad Thomas/Texas State University)
Gobies are small, secretive fish that live in the Chesapeake Bay year-round, mostly among oyster reefs.
Three species of gobies can be found in the Chesapeake Bay:
Naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc
Seaboard goby, Gobiosoma ginsburgi
Green goby, Microgobius thalassinus
Appearance:
Elongated body
Large mouth with large, closely set eyes on top of the head
Two separate dorsal fins
Fused pelvic fins that act as suction discs
Naked gobies are dark greenish-brown with 8-10 light bars running along the sides
Seaboard gobies are brownish with whitish crossbars. Dark, irregular spots form a line along either side of the body.
Green gobies are the most colorful of the three species. Males are greenish-blue with a reddish dorsal fin, orange-yellow pelvic fins, and a white-edged anal fin with dark spots on the border. Females have a gold head, gold-blue bands underneath the eyes, bluish-green sides, and a large black spot on the back of the dorsal fin.
Naked gobies are scaleless. Seaboard gobies have only two scales on each side of the base of the tail. Green gobies have scales on the back part of the body.
Grow to 2 inches long
Habitat:
Usually live among oyster reefs, but may also be found within eelgrass beds and around rocks and pilings
Seaboard gobies live in deeper waters than naked and green gobies
Green gobies are often found over muddy bottoms and within redbeard sponge colonies
In winter, gobies move to the Bay’s deeper channels
Naked gobies may bury themselves in bottom sediments in winter
Range:
Year-round residents of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers
Naked gobies extend into tidal fresh waters near Havre de Grace, Maryland
Seaboard gobies are common in the lower Bay and range to the upper Bay
Green gobies are found in the lower tidal portions of most Bay rivers
Feeding:
Mainly eat worms and small crustaceans
Predators:
Larger fish such as striped bass, bluefish and weakfish
Hide from predators within small crevices of oyster reefs
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Spawn in May-November
Females lay bundles of small, amber-colored eggs inside of empty oyster shells
Males aggressively guard the eggs until they hatch
Free-swimming naked goby larvae may migrate upstream and school over oyster reefs before settling
Naked gobies may live for four years
Other Facts:
Naked gobies are the most abundant and wide-ranging of the three Chesapeake Bay goby species
Although they are abundant, gobies are quite secretive and not easily found
Sources and Additional Information:
Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
