The sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus), also known as a polewig[2] or pollybait,[2] is a species of ray-finned fish native to marine and brackish European waters from the Baltic Sea through the Mediterranean Sea and into the Black Sea where it occurs in sandy or muddy areas of inshore waters at depths of from 4 to 200 metres (13 to 656 ft).

[3] The sand goby is of a sandy colour, with darker markings on the sides and a creamy-white underside.

In the breeding season the male fish has blue spot at the rear of the first dorsal fin, ringed with white.

The sand goby has two dorsal fins with a wider gap between them than the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), the anterior one consisting of six soft spines and the posterior one eight to eleven soft rays.

In males, there is a conspicuous dark spot on the anterior dorsal fin and in both sexes there is a black patch on the caudal peduncle.