Edit Stiphodon maculidorsalis

You can suggest changes to this profile. A moderator will review each change.

Name

Scientific name

Stiphodon maculidorsalis

Described by

Authority Maeda & Tan, Year 2013

Family

Gobiidae

Common names

Orange-fin Stiphodon

Photograph credits

All 19 credited

Summary

The orange-fin stiphodon, Stiphodon maculidorsalis, is a stream-dwelling goby known only from western Sumatra, Indonesia. Formerly referred…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

80mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 80 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Water movement High: fast-flowing river or riffle

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 20–28°C, pH 6.5–7.5

Hardness

2–12dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Not recorded

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Indonesia, Sumatra

Writing

Etymology

Stiphodon: from the Greek στίφος (stifos), meaning 'swarm, horde', and ὀδών (odon), meaning 'toothed', in reference to the numerous, closely-packed teeth in th…

Distribution

Known only from western Sumatra, Indonesia, where it's been collected from Bengkulu, West Sumatra, and Aceh Provinces. Type locality is 'South Painan, West Sum…

Habitat

Members of this genus are near-exclusive inhabitants of short coastal streams with habitats often lying above waterfalls or cataracts. This makes them inaccess…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base dimensions of 80 ∗ 30 cm is the smallest recommended.

Maintenance

These gobies aren't too difficult to keep provided some basic requirements are met. Most importantly the water must be clean and well-oxygenated at all times s…

Water conditions

Temperature: 20 – 28 °C; increased surface agitation is needed to maintain dissolved oxygen levels towards the upper end of this range. pH: 6.5 – 7.5 Hardness:…

Diet

Stiphodon spp. are specialised grazers feeding on benthic algae plus associated micro-organisms and possess subterminal, extrusible mouthparts with dentition d…

Stiphodon spp. are specialised grazers feeding on benthic algae plus associated micro-organisms and possess subterminal, extrusible mouthparts with dentition designed for the purpose, including regenerative teeth.

The pelvic disc is also important not only to maintain position in rapidly-flowing water but also to provide leverage.

In the aquarium some sinking dried products and small, meaty foods such as live or frozen bloodworm may be accepted but should only be offered irregularly since the elongate gut is specifically designed to process vegetable matter.

For long-term success it's thus essential to provide a mature aquarium with a plentiful supply of algae-covered rocks and other surfaces.

If unable to grow sufficient algae in the main tank or you have a community containing numerous herbivorous fishes which consume what's available quickly, it may be necessary to maintain a separate container in which to grow algae on rocks and switch them with those in the main tank on a cyclical basis.

Such a 'nursery' doesn't have to be very large, requires only strong lighting and in sunny climates can be kept outdoors.

Algal type is also important with diatoms, cyanobacteria (commonly referred to as blue-green 'algae') and green varieties preferred to tougher ones like rhodophytic 'black brush' algae.

Unfortunately as a result of their specialised diet and oxygen requirements Stiphodon spp. are regularly seen on sale in an emaciated state which can be tricky to correct.

A good dealer will have done something about this prior to sale but if you decide to take a chance with severely weakened specimens they'll initially require a readily-available source of suitable foods in the absence of competitors if they're to recover.

Editing needs JavaScript. This is the text as it was last saved.

Where does this come from?

My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

Web address

Paste the address of the page that says this. What counts as a source

DOI

Paste a DOI and we will look up the rest of the reference. A DOI looks like 10.11646/zootaxa.4694.4.1, and most papers print it on the first page.

Title

Enter the title of the paper, book or page. If you leave it empty, we will use the website's address.

Authors

Separate authors with semicolons, e.g. Tan, H.H.; Ng, P.K.L.

Year

Journal or publisher

Pages

Enter the page that says this, e.g. 218 or 218–221.

Anything worth adding

Describe what you saw, or which part of the source says this.

Behaviour and compatibility

Stiphodon spp. can be kept in a community provided tankmates are chosen with care. Peaceful, similarly-sized species which naturally inhabit well-oxygenated st…

Sexual dimorphism

As with all members of the genus sexual dimorphism is pronounced; males have a grey to yellowish-brown base body colour with bright orange to yellow dorsal, ca…

Reproduction

Observations of courtship behaviour and the occasional spawning exist but to date no-one has managed to raise fry of any Stiphodon spp. in captivity. This is u…

Notes

This species was referred to as S. sp. 'orange fin' or S. sp. 'ST01' prior to being offically named and is one of the more commonly-traded members of the genus…

References

11 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References