Gobies & Sleepers

The olive flathead gudgeon, Butis amboinensis, is a nocturnal ambush predator from the eastern Indian Ocean to the West Central Pacific. It inhabits brackish estuaries, lagoons and mangroves, entering tidal freshwater rivers to an extent, and often aligns itself with solid surfaces or swims upside-down. It is occasionally exported as bycatch and differs from congeners in lacking enlarged outer teeth and scales on the cheek. It is territorial and should probably be kept singly.

The crazy fish, Butis butis, is a flathead gudgeon of coastal and brackish waters across the Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to Fiji. The most commonly traded member of the genus, it has many other names, including crocodile fish, duckbill sleeper and upside-down sleeper. A nocturnal ambush predator, it often swims upside-down, and it is territorial and not sociable with conspecifics, so is best kept singly.

The empire gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa, is an eleotrid from northern and eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. Breeding is rarely achieved in aquaria because of its complex amphidromous strategy: adults spawn in freshwater streams, but the larvae are washed downstream to the sea and develop there. Plenty of cover and broken lines of sight let weaker individuals escape the attention of dominant fish.

The knight goby, Stigmatogobius sadanundio, is a widely distributed goby recorded from Pakistan and India through to Indonesia and Fiji. It inhabits estuarine zones but is more often found in fresh than brackish water, and is by far the most common Stigmatogobius in the hobby. It will eat anything that fits in its mouth and is territorial towards conspecifics, so tankmates are medium-sized hardwater or brackish species using other levels of the aquarium.

The peacock goby, Tateurndina ocellicauda, is a small sleeper from Papua New Guinea, found in lowland rainforest streams, ponds and rivers. The name is misleading, as it belongs to the Eleotridae, the sleepers or gudgeons, which lack the fused pectoral fins of true gobies. A little territorial with its own kind, it suits communities of small, peaceful fish, and it spawns in caves and is easily bred under the right conditions.

The dwarf Indian mudskipper, Periophthalmus novemradiatus, is an amphibious goby of coasts from eastern India to southern Thailand. It lives on mudflats in estuarine mangrove swamps and is thought to be the smallest species in the genus. An aquarium needs exposed land areas and a very humid atmosphere at the same temperature as the water, and the fish is territorial with conspecifics.

The bumblebee goby, Brachygobius doriae, is a small goby from western Borneo and the Natuna Islands, described from Sarawak. Among the more frequently traded members of the genus, it is often misidentified as B. nunus or B. xanthozonus and is most easily confused with B. sabanus. It lives in fresh and brackish water in lowland coastal habitats such as mangrove swamps, estuaries and tidal streams. It is best kept in a species-specific set-up.

The Mekong bumblebee goby, Brachygobius mekongensis, is a tiny goby from the central and lower Mekong, including the Tonlé Sap system. It is apparently restricted to slow-moving or standing fresh water such as marshes, seasonal swamps and floodplains with dense aquatic vegetation. Narrow, often broken dark bars on a pale background separate it from the most similar species, B. nunus. It is poorly known in the hobby, and other species are sold under its name.

The Sabanus bumblebee goby, Brachygobius sabanus, is a small goby described from the Kinabatangan district of Sabah, northeastern Borneo. Among the more frequently traded members of the genus, it is easily confused with B. doriae, but the last one or two rays of its first dorsal-fin are colourless and less than half of the pectoral-fin is black. Its full range is unclear, and populations in Singapore are not thought to be natural. It lives in fresh and brackish lowland coastal habitats.

Brachygobius xanthomelas is a small bumblebee goby recorded throughout much of Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand. It lives in lowland freshwater swamps, streams and forest peat swamps and, unlike most congeners, does not appear to occur in brackish water. The name is widely misapplied to an unidentified member of the genus, the fish in most online images, which has a dark marking at the front of the first dorsal-fin base where B. xanthomelas is colourless.

The desert goby, Chlamydogobius eremius, is a small goby endemic to the Lake Eyre drainage basin in South Australia. It does not occur in the salt lake itself but inhabits isolated freshwater springs, flowing artesian bores and ephemeral waterholes. Males are much more colourful than females but can change colour considerably, and they can be aggressive in spawning condition, so it is best maintained alone.

The violet goby, Gobioides broussonnetii, is an estuarine goby from the southern USA, Central America, the Caribbean and northeastern South America. Also sold as the dragon or Peruvian goby, it grows very large (to 62.5 cm), has specialised feeding requirements and needs brackish water, as it does not survive for long in freshwater. The smaller, riverine G. peruanus is often imported under its name and is told apart by its smaller adult size and thicker, more purple body.

The southern purple spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa, is an Australian gudgeon considered endangered across its native range. Commercially farmed fish reach the hobby. It looks very similar to the commoner northern purple spotted gudgeon, M. mogurnda, but has only 30-36 lateral line scales (37-48 in M. mogurnda) and more red spotting in the second dorsal fin. Territorial but not particularly boisterous, it will probably eat any tankmate it can fit in its mouth.

The northern purple spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda mogurnda, is a gudgeon from Australia and Papua New Guinea. Tolerant of a wide range of water conditions, hardy and easily bred, it suits the beginner, and it can survive low oxygen in habitats from forest streams to desert boreholes. It is territorial and known to nip fins, so should not be kept with very delicate or long-finned species. It is easily confused with the rarer southern purple spotted gudgeon, M. adspersa.

The marbled goby, Oxyeleotris marmorata, is one of the largest gobies in the world, found in Southeast Asia from Thailand to the Philippines. It lives in rivers, ponds, swamps and flooded forests, mainly in fresh water but also in brackish environments, and grows to 65 cm. A nocturnal ambush predator, it is territorial with its own kind and will eat any fish it can fit in its mouth, so it is best kept alone. It is also a popular food fish in some of its native countries.

Rhinogobius candidianus is a goby from northern and western Taiwan, where it lives in smaller tributaries and hill streams. It is normally imported alongside a smaller, near-identical congener identified as R. nantaiensis, and both are usually traded as R. candidianus. The two can be separated by snout length, noticeably longer in R. candidianus, and by adult size: R. nantaiensis reaches just 50 to 55 mm.

The Chiangmai stream goby, Rhinogobius chiengmaiensis, is a small goby from the middle and upper Chao Phraya river system in central Thailand. It has been exported for the ornamental trade, often labelled as the congener R. mekongianus, but has five irregular dark markings on the body against seven or eight in that species. The male guards eggs laid on the ceiling of a cave or crevice, and it is among the less problematic members of the genus to breed.

The white-cheeked goby, Rhinogobius duospilus, is a small goby from Hong Kong and southern China, living in clear hill streams. It was often sold in the past as 'Rhinogobius wui', a name now listed as a valid species, so aquarium literature published under either name may refer to either fish. Adults are extremely sedentary, and populations in neighbouring streams are genetically distinct from one another.

Rhinogobius filamentosus is a small goby from the Li River system in Guangxi, southern China, also collected in neighbouring Guangdong province. Very few details of its range exist, and its habitat is presumed to be smaller rivers and streams over gravel, rocks and boulders. The name refers to the extended primary dorsal-fin rays of males.

Rhinogobius flumineus is a goby endemic to Japan, found in central and western Honshu and on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Its entire life cycle takes place in freshwater, in smaller rivers, tributaries and streams, although it occurs alongside amphidromous congeners in places. Two colour forms appear to exist, based on the shape and patterning of the male's first dorsal fin, and its name is sometimes applied to other species.

Rhinogobius formosanus is a goby endemic to river systems of northern and northeastern Taiwan. Previously considered a subspecies of R. nagoyae, it has generally been accepted as distinct since 2008. Irregular, worm-like, reddish-brown lines on the cheek and opercle separate it from other Taiwanese Rhinogobius. Like many fishes from running water it needs spotless water and does best in a tank set up to simulate a flowing stream.

Rhinogobius gigas is a goby native to eastern Taiwan, found in the middle and lower sections of rivers in Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties. The species is uncommon in the aquarium hobby, and its name is sometimes applied to similar-looking congeners. Well-defined dark cross bands on the body, a spotted cheek and rows of spots in the second dorsal and anal fins help tell it apart from other Taiwanese Rhinogobius.

Rhinogobius giurinus is a goby found through much of China, plus Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and the Red and Pha river basins in Vietnam. It appears to exist in a number of forms that differ in colour pattern, morphology or both, and it is unclear whether all of them are conspecific. Newly-imported wild fish tend to be aggressive towards conspecifics, so unlike most Rhinogobius it is best kept in sexed pairs.

Rhinogobius lanyuensis is a goby known only from Lanyu Island, better known as Orchid Island, off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. It has been available in Japan on occasion. The body carries 8 vertical blackish brown bars, and females have a discontinuous dark lateral stripe that males lack. Lanyu is a small volcanic island with no major rivers, and the species presumably inhabits small streams over gravel, rocks and bedrock.

Rhinogobius leavelli is a goby ranging from northeastern Laos through northern Vietnam to the Pearl drainage in Guangxi, southern China. It appears to exist in a number of forms that differ in colour pattern, morphology or both, although those in the aquarium trade all look similar. Fish identified as this species tend to have an orange blotch at the base of the caudal fin and a dark vertical bar at the base of the pectoral fin.

Rhinogobius lentiginis is a small goby that appears endemic to Zhejiang province, eastern China, growing to around 32 mm SL. Given its natural range and the lack of commercial collecting there, it is unlikely to have been in the aquarium hobby. Irregular dark blotches and spots on the cheek and opercle separate it from its most similar congener, R. davidi, which has a single dark vertical stripe there.

Rhinogobius maculafasciatus is a small goby known only from certain rivers in southern Taiwan, including the Tzengwen and Kaoping drainages. It has been collected by a few individuals. Fewer scale rows between the first dorsal-fin origin and upper pectoral-fin base than in related Taiwanese species give it a somewhat elongate appearance. Typical habitats are small brooks, tributaries and pools with slow flow over rocks and pebbles.

Rhinogobius mekongianus is a goby from the middle and upper Mekong basin in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Its name has been misapplied in the aquarium trade to the congener R. chiengmaiensis, and it does not appear to have been on the market itself. It has 7-8 irregular dark markings on the body (vs. 5 in R. chiengmaiensis), and records from the Chao Phraya drainage most likely refer to that species.

Rhinogobius nantaiensis is a goby from Taiwan, officially known only from the Tzengwen and Kaoping river basins in the south of the island. It is normally imported in mixed batches with the near-identical R. candidianus, and is the commoner of the two in the aquarium trade. It does not grow as large, has a more rounded snout, and most specimens have spot-like markings on the sides of the head.

The red-spotted goby, Rhinogobius rubromaculatus, is endemic to Taiwan and apparently quite common in central and western parts of the island. Fish from the Linbian river in the south are smaller, with larger and more intense red spots, and have been called R. rubromaculatus 'rot' or 'red' in the hobby, but they show only minor genetic differences. Among the less problematic members of the genus to breed, it can spawn year-round in aquaria.

Rhinogobius yaoshanensis is a small goby recorded only from streams draining Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County in eastern Guangxi, China. Its name has appeared regularly on trade lists since the mid-2000s, but fish labelled as such do not fully match the most recent key, and whether the species itself has been exported is unclear. It is likely restricted to shallow, well-oxygenated headwaters with riffles and runs broken by pools.

Rhinogobius zhoui is a small goby restricted to a handful of streams around Lianhua Mountain in Haifeng County, Guangdong, China. In the aquarium trade since 2010, it is sold as 'Chinese vermilion goby', 'Zhou's scarlet goby', 'scarlet goby' and 'flame goby'. Adult males have 6-8 red blotches on the flank and broad white bands on the median fins. It has been bred in aquaria but not easily, because males patrol an area and do not defend a single spawning site.

Sicyopus cebuensis is a stream goby known from the Uling brook in the upper Naga River basin on Cebu, the Philippines. It appears rare in nature, and the type series consisted of a single adult pair. Males have a creamy-yellow front half with a dark midbody blotch and bright orange-red behind. Its complex amphidromous breeding strategy means fry are not raised in aquaria.

Sicyopus discordipinnis is a small stream goby from northern New Guinea and the islands of Normanby, New Hanover and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Members of the genus inhabit short coastal streams on tropical islands, typically above waterfalls or cataracts, and have a complex amphidromous breeding strategy.

Sicyopus exallisquamulus is a stream goby described from the island of Halmahera in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It is normally misidentified and traded as the Sri Lankan endemic Sicyopus jonklaasi. Members of the genus inhabit short coastal streams on tropical islands, typically above waterfalls or cataracts, and males have filamentous third and/or fourth dorsal-fin rays.

Sicyopus zosterophorus is a stream goby with a patchy but wide range from the Marquesas Islands westwards to Indonesia, Japan and southern China. It is occasionally available in the hobby as the 'flaming arrow goby', 'belted rockclimbing goby' or 'ornate goby', often under the invalid name Sicyopus zosterophorum. It inhabits short coastal streams on tropical islands, typically above waterfalls or cataracts.

Stiphodon atratus is a stream-dwelling goby from Indonesia, northern New Guinea and islands east to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Males are blackish, especially on the unpaired fins, and large males appear entirely black between the second dorsal and anal fins. It has been maintained by a few private collectors. Like other Stiphodon it is a specialised algal grazer with an amphidromous life cycle.

The blue neon goby, Stiphodon atropurpureus, is a stream-dwelling goby from southern Japan, Taiwan, southern China, the Philippines and Malaysia. It is available occasionally but often under the wrong name, including S. elegans and 'Sumatran blue neon goby', though it is not found on Sumatra. In males the bright blue-green lateral stripe combined with a reddish outer edge to the first dorsal fin is unique within the genus.

Stiphodon birdsong is a tiny stream-dwelling goby from Halmahera Island east along the northern coast of Papua New Guinea to Fergusson Island. The largest officially recorded specimen measured just 22.9 mm. It is most similar to S. surrufus and S. mele and differs from them only in meristics, such as tooth and scale counts. Like other Stiphodon it is a specialised algal grazer with an amphidromous life cycle.

The orange-fin stiphodon, Stiphodon maculidorsalis, is a stream-dwelling goby known only from western Sumatra, Indonesia. Formerly referred to as S. sp. 'orange fin' or 'ST01', it is one of the more commonly traded members of the genus, often in single-sex batches, mixed with other species or misidentified as S. zebrinus. Small black spots on the top of the head and trunk, present in both sexes, are unique within the genus.

The rainbow stiphodon, Stiphodon ornatus, is a stream-dwelling goby known only from Aceh and West Sumatra provinces, Sumatra, Indonesia. Traded as S. sp. 'rainbow', 'gold fin' or 'gold cheek', it is among the more widely available members of the genus. More than one species may be sold under these names, and males vary a great deal in colour with mood, so identification can be tricky. All Stiphodon in the trade are wild-collected.

Stiphodon pelewensis is a stream-dwelling goby described from Palau and thought to occur through the Mariana Islands and as far as Pohnpei. Its range needs confirmation, since a number of similarly patterned fishes occur across much of Micronesia. It resembles S. weberi, and the two are most easily told apart by the belly, fully scaled in S. pelewensis and unscaled in S. weberi.

Stiphodon percnopterygionus is a small stream-dwelling goby ranging from southern Taiwan through the Ryukyu and Bonin islands to Guam and Palau. Rare in the aquarium trade, it is among the most easily identified in the genus. Males have highly extended fourth and fifth spines in the first dorsal fin, and adults reach only 30-35 mm SL. Like other Stiphodon it is a specialised algal grazer with an amphidromous life cycle.

Stiphodon rutilaureus is a small rock-climbing goby from fast island streams, from northern Papua New Guinea east to Vanuatu and Fiji. Males are bright orange-red with 9 to 11 vertical bars and a blue upper lip, cheek and opercle. An algal grazer, it needs clean, well-oxygenated, flowing water.

The cobalt blue goby, Stiphodon semoni, is a stream-dwelling goby ranging from western Sumatra east to northern New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It has been traded for a number of years but often under the wrong name, including S. elegans and S. atropurpureus. Males have a bright blue metallic stripe from snout to caudal peduncle and rounded, almost hyaline dorsal fins, while those of S. atropurpureus are dusky to black.

Stiphodon surrufus is a small stream-dwelling goby described from Leyte in the Philippines and also reported from Okinawa and Yakushima, Japan. Males are reddish in life and lack elongate spines in the first dorsal fin. It was possibly carried north by the Kuroshio Current, and is less abundant there than congeners such as S. percnopterygionus. Like other Stiphodon it is a specialised algal grazer with an amphidromous life cycle.

The schooling bumblebee goby, Brachygobius aggregatus, is a small goby described from the Philippines and recorded from the lower Mekong in Vietnam. The name appears on ornamental trade lists quite often but seems to be routinely misapplied to other species, particularly B. doriae-type fishes. It is very similar to B. kabiliensis, and both are best considered nominal taxa for now since several species might be involved. Small live foods are probably essential.

The Kabili bumblebee goby, Brachygobius kabiliensis, is a tiny goby described from the Kabili River in Sabah, northeastern Borneo. Its reported range is disjunct, with records from Brunei, Singapore and the lower Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia. The name is often misapplied to B. doriae-type fishes in the trade. It lives in fresh and brackish lowland coastal habitats and prefers harder water than some congeners. It grows to just 15 to 18 mm.

Brachygobius nunus is a bumblebee goby described from the Ganges delta near Kolkata, more likely restricted to India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Reports of its wider range vary, and it may also occur in Myanmar. The name is widely misapplied to B. doriae and B. sabanus, which may give a false impression of its availability, though it looks completely different, with four black bands on the body and a black stripe through the eye. It lives in fresh and brackish lowland coastal habitats.

The clay goby, Dormitator lebretonis, is an eleotrid from coastal Western Africa, where it lives in estuaries, lagoons and mangroves. Mainly found in brackish water, it makes a peaceful addition to the brackish or hardwater community of medium-sized fish, though it will eat anything that fits in its mouth. Adults develop a pattern of reds and blues, and it was formerly placed in the defunct genus Batanga.

The Atlantic mudskipper, Periophthalmus barbarus, is a highly amphibious goby from the west African coast, from Mauritania south to Angola. It lives on and around mudflats in estuarine mangrove swamps, so an aquarium needs exposed land and a very humid atmosphere at the same temperature as the water. Males are extremely territorial with one another, and a species tank is preferable in most cases.

Stiphodon alcedo is a small stream-dwelling goby known only from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, in streams on Okinawa and Iriomote. Nuptial males are blackish or sometimes orange with metallic turquoise on the head, and the male's first dorsal fin is pointed but not filamentous. Like other Stiphodon it is a specialised algal grazer with an amphidromous life cycle.

The bearded worm goby, Taenioides cirratus, is a mud-burrowing goby of coastal, usually estuarine waters from India to Japan and New Caledonia. It digs networks of sloping tunnels in the substrate, and has greatly reduced eyes, teeth on the outside of its mouth and the ability to breathe air and survive out of water for some time. Growing to 300 mm SL, it will eat anything small enough and is probably best kept in a species set-up.

Brachygobius xanthozonus is a bumblebee goby described from Surabaya in eastern Java, Indonesia, and may be endemic to that island. Its name has been widely misapplied in aquarium literature for decades, and fish labelled as such are invariably B. doriae or B. sabanus. With about 50 lateral scales, where congeners have fewer than 30, it is comparatively elongate, and it has four dark bars on the body and an entirely black anal-fin.

Rhinogobius sp. 'CB' is an unidentified goby of the R. brunneus complex, found through most of Japan except Hokkaido. 'CB' is shorthand for 'cross band', after the dark bars on the body. Among the unidentified members of the grouping it is the commonest in Japan. Some wild populations are amphidromous, with the larvae washed down to the sea and the fry developing in brackish to marine estuaries.

Rhinogobius sp. 'CO' is an unidentified goby of the R. brunneus complex that certainly occurs on the island of Honshu, Japan. 'CO' is shorthand for 'cobalt', after the blue spots on the head and body. Some populations live in brackish and others in freshwater environments, and this has led them to adopt different reproductive strategies.