[2] It has recently spread as an invasive species to Central and Western Europe and to North America.

Crown, nape, upper edges of operculums, origins of pectoral fins, belly, and posterior part of throat are covered with cycloid scales.

The back and sides have broad, oblique blochtes on a lighter brown or olive background.

It can also be distinguished by its long anterior nostrils and lack of a black spot on the posterior base of its dorsal fin.

[21] Proterorhinus semilunaris was introduced to the St. Clair River from eastern Europe in Ballast water.

Particularly in Greece the populations are endangered near the town of Serres due to pollution and human-induced habitat change.

The preferred nesting areas indicate that they could potentially inhabit the shallow waters of all five Great Lakes.

It consumes a large number of benthic invertebrates, such as Chironomidaes, crustaceans, copepods, and ostracods.

[29] In the Věstonice Reservoir (Thaya River, the basin of the Morava River) the larvae of Chironomidae, mostly Phytotendipes gripekoveni comprise 40.2% and Asellus aquaticus 27.6%[30] as well as Corixidae, copepods, Ceratopogonidae, Cladocera, and leeches (Hirudinea).

[31] Tubenose gobies will nest under logs and rocks in the shallow fresh waters of the Great Lakes and their connecting rivers.

The gobies will spawn multiple times during the warmer months of the year which makes the species rather prolific.

In the delta of the Dniester River they have 5 parasite species; trematodes Nicolla skrjabini are most numerous.

[33] In the small rivers of the northern coast of the Sea of Azov it has trematodes Plagioporus skrjabini and glochidia of molluscs.

[36][37][38] It is included as paratenic host to the life cycle of the parasite of turtles, the nematode Spiroxys contortus.

The North American tubenose goby has a significant overlap in diet with the rainbow darter, northern madtom, and the logperch, which creates competition with these species in their native habitat.