Depth
Millerigobius · Bony Fish

Large-headed Goby

Millerigobius macrocephalus

5 - 30 m
Depth Range
4 cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
5 - 30 m
Depth Range
4 cm
Max Size
Rocky / Sandy
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Moderate
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
GenusMillerigobius
Speciesmacrocephalus

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationTiny goby with a disproportionately large, rounded head. Body is pale with subtle darker banding. Eyes are high-set and prominent.
  • SizeUp to 2.5 cm total length. Among the smallest Mediterranean fish species.
  • Social HabitSolitary and sedentary. Occupies very small territories among algae and encrusting organisms.
  • HabitatRocky subtidal surfaces covered with algae and encrusting invertebrates. Found in shaded microhabitats.
  • Depth0 to 15 m, predominantly in very shallow rocky areas.
  • Feeds OnTiny invertebrates including copepods and amphipods found among algal turf.
  • DistributionMediterranean Sea. Relatively poorly known and sporadically recorded.
  • DescriptionA minute fish with an outsized head that makes it look permanently surprised. It lives among algal turf on shallow rocks and is almost never noticed by divers. Its biology and ecology remain poorly understood.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found on mixed rocky and sandy substrates from 5 to 30 m across the Mediterranean. Favours areas with small stones, gravel, and shell hash where its small size and cryptic colours offer effective concealment.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Mixed rocky-sandy bottoms with gravel and shell debris. Often found among small cobbles and coralline rubble in the infralittoral zone. Shelters in tiny crevices between stones.

Encounter Tips

Search carefully among gravel and small stones at moderate depths. This species is easily missed due to its tiny size. Turn over small flat stones gently and observe the area immediately surrounding them.

Large-headed Goby species card

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Millerigobius macrocephalus may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListLeast Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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