The Status of the Round Goby Populations (Neogobius Melanostomus Pallas 1814) in the Azov Sea
Nowadays the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas 1814) is one of the main commercial fish species in the Azov Sea. The Azov Sea conditions are favorable for reproduction and development of the round goby whose habitat occupies the whole sea body. The fish biomass varied from 5,0 th.tons to 201,6 th.tons (32,0 th.tons in average) in the period of 1952-2012. The status of the round goby is fairly changeable. The abundance of the round goby differs considerably which is typical of the fish with a short life period, the productivity of generations can differ dozens or even hundreds times. Taking into consideration the ecological and commercial importance of the round goby as the most common species among the Azov Sea gobies, we should say that it is urgent to conduct the monitoring of its population and stocks.