ABSTRACT
Most of the species live a benthic life; however, Aphia minuta, Crystallogobius linearis and Pseudaphya ferreri are free swimming (nectonic). More than 60% of the benthic species prefer soft bottoms as substrate. About 40% live on hard bottoms and in caves (Fig. 2.2.2B). Several of the hard bottom dwellers show, more or less, a cryptic way of life. Some recently published papers have shed a little light on the living place of small cryptobenthic fi shes (Ahnelt and Patzner, 1996; Kovačić, 1997; Herler et al., 1999; Patzner, 1999a; La Mesa et al., 2006). Th e term ‘cryptobenthic’ is here used according to the defi nition of Miller (1979, 1996): Th ese species are
always living inside diff erent kinds of burrows (caves, cavities, holes, cleft s) or below cover (stones, boulders, shells) and therefore can not be seen from above. A number of these species was believed to be extremely rare (Miller, 1986) but under intensifi ed examination, they have been proved to be rather common.
