This taxon is treated as a member of the genus Knipowitschia by some authorities, but is currently assigned to the genus Orsinigobius based on molecular analyses (Geiger et al. 2014, Thacker et al. 2019).

Global and European regional assessment: Vulnerable (VU)
EU 27 regional assessment: Vulnerable (VU)

The Neretva Dwarf Goby has a restricted range (extent of occurrence (EOO) c. 1,800 km², EU 27 member states 474 km²), which meets the threshold for the Endangered category under Criterion B1 (EOO < 5,000 km²), and the extent and quality of habitat are estimated to be declining. However, it occurs at eight locations which does not meet the threshold for Endangered. Therefore, this species is assessed as Vulnerable under Criterion B (B1ab(iii)), both globally and for the EU 27 member states.

This species is endemic to the lower Neretva River system in the Dinaric Karst region of southern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It has been reported in the Neretva main stem and its tributaries from the river's delta to the town of Čapljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Baćina and Desansko lake basins, Vrgorsko polje (Vrgorska Matica River), the Norin, Trebižat , Bregava and Krupa rivers, and the Hutovo Blato wetland. It has not been recorded upstream of Ljubuško polje in the Trebižat River.

This species' current population size and trend have not been quantified, and the number of subpopulations is unclear.

It has not been reported from Lake Modro oko in Croatia since 1997, although earlier records may have been based on vagrant individuals which arrived to the lake via subterranean karstic conduits.

This small-bodied, benthic species inhabits tributary streams, river channels, seasonal wetlands and spring-fed floodplain lakes.

In fluvial habitats the Neretva Dwarf Goby exhibits a preference for slow-moving reaches with substrates of sand, gravel and pebbles. Some subpopulations inhabit brackish lacustrine environments, e.g., Baćina lakes.

At the onset of the dry season, the water in some tributaries drops and subsides into the porous karst, with many rivers and streams reduced to a series of remnant pools or drying out entirely. During these spells native fish species are adapted to survive in these small remaining water bodies or actively enter subterranean environments through ponors, with many individuals spending extended periods of time underground.

The annual reproductive period extends from March to November, peaking from April to September.

Males are territorial during this time, and defend their chosen spawning site against rivals. These sites tend to comprise an existing crevice or small depression excavated from the substrate, and the male is also responsible for guarding and tending the eggs until they hatch. Females do not assist in this process and are able to spawn with several males within a single reproductive season.

The diet comprises small aquatic invertebrates such as chironomid larvae and amphipods.

This species is threatened by barrier construction, anthropogenic modification of river channels and pollution from agricultural and domestic sources.

In particular, construction of four large hydroelectric dams along the middle section of the Neretva River main stem since the 1950s has altered natural flow and sedimentation regimes and potentially blocked migration routes, fragmented subpopulations, and markedly reduced the extent of habitat for all life stages. The scale of annual flooding in the Hutovo Blato wetland has declined significantly due to reduced discharge of the Neretva and some affluent springs such as Čapljina, which is also exploited for hydropower generation. The southern part of the wetland was partially impounded in 1979, and a future plan to divert water from Hutovo Blato for domestic use may further reduce habitat quality. The proposed construction of around 70 additional hydroelectric projects in the upper reaches of the river, plus an ongoing water diversion scheme in the adjacent Trebišnjica River system together represent a plausible future threat to the entire Neretva ecosystem.

The extent and quality of habitat in the lower Neretva area has been further diminished by bank stabilisation, channelisation and other efforts to enhance flood protection or exploit water resources for irrigated agriculture. In the river's delta, only three of its original twelve branches remain and most former marshes and lakes have been reclaimed for agriculture since the 1960s. Diffuse and point source agricultural, domestic and industrial pollution has resulted in eutrophication or discharge of toxic substances at some locations. For example, Vrgorsko polje is almost entirely turned over to agriculture, and the Vrgorska Matica River is extensively impacted by eutrophication and water abstraction.

In addition, a number of non-native fish species that are documented to exert negative effects on native ichthyofauna through predation, resource competition or habitat degradation are established within its range, including Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides), Eurasian Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio), Common Carp (Cyprinus domestic strain), Topmouth Gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva), Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), and Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).

This species is apparently harvested for human consumption at the local scale, but few details are available and the level of offtake is unknown.

This species is included in Annex II of the European Union Habitats Directive (as Knipowitschia croatica).

It is nationally-protected in Croatia, where it is covered by the Nature Protection Act (OG 80/13) and Ordinance on Strictly Protected Taxa (OG 144/13, 73/16). It is currently assessed as Endangered for the National Red List of Croatia.

No specific conservation management plan exists, but parts of this species' range are located within protected areas. Among these, the Neretva Delta and Hutovo Blato are included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (site nos. 585 and 1105, respectively), and a few sites are listed in the European Union's Natura 2000 network. A new, ostensibly more sustainable, management policy was implemented in the Hutovo Blato basin following a European Union-funded LIFE project which ran from 2000-2002.

The proposed hydropower developments in the Neretva and Trebišnjica rivers have been opposed by local communities and several NGOs, leading to the publication of various news articles, reports, research projects and dissemination events, e.g., Neretva Science Week (July 2022).

A deeper understanding of this species' population trend, abundance, distribution and life history would likely prove useful in the establishment of future management efforts and priority conservation sites.