Gobies are fish of the
family Gobiidae, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000
species in more than 200
genera. Most of them are relatively small, typically less than in length. Gobies include some of the smallest
vertebrates in the world, such as
Trimmatom nanus and
Pandaka pygmaea, which are under long when fully grown. Some large gobies, such as some species of the genera
Gobioides or
Periophthalmodon, can reach over in length, but that is exceptional. Generally, they are
benthic, or bottom-dwellers. Although few are important as food for humans, they are of great significance as prey species for commercially important fish such as
cod,
haddock,
sea bass, and
flatfish. Several gobies are also of interest as aquarium fish, such as the bumblebee gobies of the genus
Brachygobius. Phylogenetic relationships of gobies have been studied using molecular data.