This species was formerly included in the genus Salaria, a taxon which prior to splitting comprised a paraphyletic assortment of freshwater and marine blenniid species (Vecchioni et al. 2019, 2022).

The genus Salariopsis continues to undergo taxonomic revision, with a series of divergent genetic lineages have been identified since the turn of the century. These discoveries have resulted in the descriptions of S. atlantica (Doadrio, Perea and Yahyaoui 2012), S. economidisi (Kottelat 2004), S. burcuae Yoğurtçuoğlu, Kaya, Atalay, Ekmekçi and Freyhof 2023 and S. renatorum Yoğurtçuoğlu, Kaya, Atalay, Ekmekçi and Freyhof 2023, all of which were earlier considered to represent subpopulations of S. fluviatilis inhabiting parts of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The freshwater blenny remains present throughout the majority of its range, albeit partly in small and isolated subpopulations.

Although it is placed in a Threatened Category on some national red lists, it does not currently trigger any Red List criteria at the global scale and appears to be expanding in France. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

This species' distribution extends westward from the eastern Atlantic in southern Portugal and Spain, across the northern Mediterranean basin to southwestern Türkiye. It also occurs in a handful of streams flowing into the Gulf of Béjaïa, Algeria.

Established lacustrine subpopulations inhabiting Alpine foothills and the Balkan Peninsula derive from both natural invasions and artificial introductions, while it has also colonised some man-made reservoirs.

It has additionally been recorded from the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Euboea, Crete, Icaria, Lesbos, Corfu, Rhodes and Cyprus, but may be extirpated from the latter.

This species' global population trend has not been quantified. While declines have been reported at the national level in a number of countries, e.g., in Portugal and Spain, its population trend is reported to be increasing elsewhere, e.g., in France. Nevertheless, most remaining subpopulations are geographically isolated from one another, and some are very small. Given the species' specialised habitat requirements (see 'Habitats and Ecology') it is estimated to be undergoing a general decline.

This benthic species most commonly inhabits unpolluted stretches of rivers and streams with moderate to fast flow and substrates of gravel, rocks and stones. It is also able to colonise large lakes, where it displays a preference for rocky shorelines.

Freshwater blenny subpopulations exhibit diversity in reproductive behaviour, morphology and other traits, which are likely related to prevailing environmental conditions and/or predation pressure. For example, some fluvial subpopulations inhabit naturally intermittent rivers and streams which undergo a predictable annual cycle of flooding and drying, and are also subject to interannual variations in flow. Under such fluctuating conditions the species is characterised by fast growth, early sexual maturity, multiple spawning within a single season and limited lifespan. This is in contrast to some subpopulations inhabiting relatively stable environments such as large lakes or perennial rivers, which comprise a higher proportion of larger, older individuals. Maximum lifespan is thought to be c. 4-5 years.

Spawning primarily occurs from May to August. Territorial males occupy a nesting cavity beneath or between rocks or stones, and may spawn with several females. Smaller males in some subpopulations have been observed to exhibit parasitic 'sneaker' behaviour, releasing sperm in the nests of dominant individuals. The adhesive eggs are deposited in the cavity, and the male defends and tends to them until they hatch. The larvae are initially pelagic, and there is limited evidence suggesting that sea currents may play a role in facilitating gene flow between neighbouring rivers.

Dam construction, river canalisation, gravel extraction, water abstraction, eutrophication, plus other forms of pollution and structural modification have significantly reduced the extent of suitable habitat throughout this species' range. There also exists evidence that it is susceptible to extended periods of drought induced by climate change. Some subpopulations may have declined due to predation by introduced non-native fish species.

This species is not used or traded.

This species is listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention (as Blennius fluviatilis), and is protected at national level in Portugal and Spain.

There are few specific conservation measures in place at time of writing, although some initial efforts have taken place in Spain. These have mostly centred around the subpopulation inhabiting the Ebro River system, since the species is considered to be a potential host for reintroduction of the Critically Endangered giant European freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera auricularia). Measures to date have included establishment of a small-scale captive-breeding program and construction of a fish passage at the Xerta Weir in the lower Ebro. A technique for captive culture, with conservation management in mind, has also been developed in Portugal.

In France, long-term projects to improve water quality in the glacial subalpine lakes Annecy and Bourget have had a positive impact on the resident freshwater blenny subpopulations. Likewise, a successful and ongoing conservation management program for the apron (Zingel asper) in tributaries of the Rhône River system is likely to have improved habitat availability for the blenny, since they share broadly similar environmental requirements.

Extensive but thus far unsuccessful field surveys have been conducted on the island of Cyprus, with the intention to introduce management measures should any extant subpopulation remain.