 |
|
| Home | Marine Aquariums |
Freshwater Aquariums |
Planted Aquariums |
Brackish Systems |
Ponds,
lakes & fountains |
Turtles & Amphibians |
Aquatic Business |
Aquatic Science |
Ask the WWM Crew a Question |
| Please visit our Sponsors | ||||
Goby identification... no pic, no way -11/27/2007 I've been reading your web site for several years. Thanks for all the help. My LFS has a "gudgeon" goby that I am interested in, but I am unable to find any information about. Looking at the WWM site and on the internet, the fish look similar to the black tail goby. Can you tell me if this is the same fish and if it, or several, would be appropriate for a 72 gallon reef tank with a true Perc clown, scopas tang & a possum wrasse. Thanks, Sarah <... no pic? There are a few gobies, some non-gobies referred to as "gudgeons"... some are brackish, freshwater... please look through what Fishbase.org shows for this common name. Some said species get very large... might eat a Wetmorella... Bob Fenner>
Re: Ascension Goby 8/13/07 All I really know is that he came from Ascension Island. <Mmm, doubtful... nothing is purposely collected, shipped from t/here> Don't yet know the geography of the region, as I have not researched yet. <See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Island> He has a nice full pink tummy and free swims a good bit. Really a great little goby. I will attach a good pic of him in case y'all are interested. [IMG]http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa29/mitchcarter_album/Di zzy4.jpg[/IMG] Mitch <Thank you for this. Bob Fenner> Re: Ascension Goby 8/14/07 Thanks a million Bob, <Welcome Mitch> I guess from what I just read, the little guy must be from somewhere else.... <Likely so... there are a whole bunch of very similar species... and range extensions do occur... And folks do (very inoccasionally) transit past this island... but don't collect inexpensive fishes...> I was even ignorant to the location of all these islands, thinking that they were in the So Pacific! I guess I'm never too old to learn. <Am hoping we both continue on both counts!> I have searched every corner of the Internet trying to learn more about this sweet little goby, but to virtually no avail. Is he really as rare an aquarium specimen as I am beginning to believe. Except for the Meerwasser-lexicon site and Fishbase I have not found much of anything about him (excepting pure scientific info). I only found one other person who had the specific species, and it turned out that he was local to me, and bought the LFS tank-mate of Dizzy (my P. ascensionis). No other findings. Mitch <Perhaps you will be the one to proffer observations... BobF> Ascension Goby, again
05/19/09 Ascension Goby, again
05/21/09
Stocking question, small reef, and FYI, re: der. of Yasha haze... 4/24/07 Hello Crew, <Eric> Long time reader, first time writer here. (Actually, I wrote about a week ago and didn't receive a response, so I'm trying again.) <Good> I have a 7 gallon (5 gallons of water) tank (30cm x 30cm x 30cm) with a little under 3kg of live rock, a Stonogobiops yasha and an Alpheus randalli. Lighting is 40W of compact fluorescent. All filtration is biological via the live rock, and I have a power head and a hang-on filter with the media removed which combine to circulate the water 25 times per hour. Ammonia and nitrite are at zero and nitrate is at 5ppm. SG is 1.024 and pH is steady at 8.3. Alkalinity is at 4 mEq/l. (All data is from Red Sea tests.) Can you recommend a second fish that will be comfortable in this size tank? <Some of the very small, easygoing Pomacentrids, Apogonids, Blennioids, Gobioids... many possibilities> The aquarium stores I've visited here in Japan have made all sorts of suggestions, but I'm pretty doubtful about all of them. I'd really like to find a compatible fish to add, preferably one that is a free swimmer, because the tank seems lonely with the goby and shrimp hiding almost all of the time. Also, FYI, I see lots of different spellings, variations on the common name for Stonogobiops yasha, and I thought you might be interested to know that the fish's common name in Japanese is "yasha haze" "Haze" is pronounced "hah-zeh" and means goby, so the term "yasha haze goby actually redundant. "Yasha" is a female demonic warrior deity, and I assume that the goby gets this name from its bright red stripes and spiky dorsal fin. <Thank you for this> Thanks in advance for your advice. Yours, Eric Anderson Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan <Bob Fenner, Holualoa, Big Island, Hawaii> Awaous flavus not a blenny! 3/22/07 Hi Bob, It's a nice photo, but Awaous flavus is a goby, not a blenny. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/blenniods.htm I bet you're going to kick yourself for that mistake, huh? Now, I'll confess to getting Mullidae and Mugilidae confused all the time. Cheers, Neale <Man! Well... I make both mistakes... "and many more....". B>
Might have a Gobi on my hands? Desert dilemma? 02/11/2007 Hello Again, <Howdy> I have scoured your website, and now have myself even more confused. After looking at dozens of photos I have decided that I definitely have a goby, and the nearest match I can find is " Ctenogobius shufeldti " . I found the picture at http://gobiidae.com/FL_goby_project/FL_list.htm I have tried to get a picture of my own, but the fish just blends in too well with my gravel for a clear view. This is a very fast little fish, and he appears to be very aware of his surroundings. He "walks" around on his pectoral fins and sometimes "sits" on them to move his head around to watch the other inhabitants of the tank: (1 ghost shrimp, 1 small crayfish, 6 guppies unknown number of tiny snails). I have also noted that he seems to be able to move his eyes individually. <All generally characteristics of this family... and a few others of size> He mainly keeps very still when the lights are on, so I do not know what (if anything) he is eating. I have seen him nosing around an artificial plant, but when I get close to watch he darts back down to the gravel. I am feeding my guppies regular flake food, that has shrimp listed as the main ingredient, but he has never shown any interest in it. The crayfish has happily destroyed my java moss, duck weed and water sprite as well as any snail she can pluck from its shell, and I supplement her with frozen peas, and raw frozen cod. The little ghost shrimp seems to eat a little bit of everything. But I have never seen the goby eating. Any suggestions? <Posted on WWM> He is a really neat little fish. I saved him from a feeder tank, but I am not sure I am doing him any favors by starving him to death. Also, do you have any idea why it is illegal to purchase gobies from a pet store in the state of Maine? <Check with the governing body re... perhaps a fear they will be released to environments where they might out-compete indigenous species> None of the local pet stores have any idea. Additionally we can not buy fresh water invertebrates locally. Get this... I can buy live crayfish as bait, but I can't buy them in a pet store, and I can legally purchase ghost shrimp through the mail. Thanks so much for a wonderful resource, Doug Alley <"In a mature society "civil servant" translates as "civil master" (Robert Anson Heinlein)... Stay tuned as the U.S. tumbles in the predicable sea of too much government... NO lifetime civil servants. BobF> I have two bar goby, reproducing? What species? 9/6/06 < http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/ComNames/CommonNameSearchList.php Eviota?> that have been digging holes in the bottom of my 75 gallon aquarium for several months. They like to hide under a large hollow rock. Today, inside a hollow castle, appeared a rather yellow netting, that one goby seems to be protecting and constantly rubbing against. Is this possibly an egg sack? <Yes!> I have found no information on the mating of bar goby. Please help! <Take a read per the link above. Once you have the species name, look in turn with this... Bob Fenner> Goby and wrasse questions... Champagne livestock tastes, Bud tank 8/23/06 Hi. <Hey there!> I have a 45 gallon tank with the following critters - a clownfish (currently residing in an anemone), Firefish goby, pajama cardinal, diamond sand goby, scarlet cleaner shrimp, some Christmas tree rocks, some coral frags, some snails and a scarlet legged cleaner crab. I saw a beautiful fish the other day, the store rep said it was an African Aurora Goby which I think is called Amblyeleotris aurora?) <Maybe> and he priced it at $80. <Man! I got out of the fish collection biz much too soon!> I looked on an internet site and saw something very similar but it was called a Pinkbar goby (for $30), and it was listed as originating from either Indo Pacific or Maldives, aka Cryptocentrus aurora. They look so similar to me, is there any difference? <Mmm, nope... try putting both names into fishbase.org...: http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12694&genusname=Amblyeleotris&speciesname=aurora is the same species... is an Amblyeleotris> And is there a difference between the Indo Pacific one and the Maldives one? <Mmm, maybe slight geographic variation in color, markings... and likely cost... the further away... the higher> Also, are they hard to keep, and will there be any compatibility problems with my current fish? <Your 45 may be too small to provide sufficient habitat for this shy species to "feel comfortable"... Do you intend to supply an appropriate Alpheid symbiont? I also saw a lovely leopard wrasse; again, would there be any compatibility or feeding problems with this fish? Thanks for your time, Ak <I would not encourage someone to try a genus Macropharyngodon Labrid in such a setting. Bob Fenner>
Circus or Nocturn or Full Moon Reef Goby 12/28/05 Hello All, I know I just sent in one question and here I am with another but... I have a little goby which I have been unable to find any real information on. It is a small goby, up to 1.5 inches. The name is Priolepis nocturna or Ctenogobius nocturnus and is commonly called Nocturn Goby, Circus Goby or Full Moon Reef Goby. It is found in coastal areas of either or both - Eastern Pacific: Kodiak I., Alaska to southern Baja California, Mexico; rare north of Point Conception in California, USA. (fishindex.com) or Indo-Pacific Ocean: Aldabra and Assumption Islands, Seychelles, Marquesas, and Maldives (saltcorner.com). Supposedly will eat all types of food including flakes and should be kept one to a tank as they will fight each other. These 2 sites also had a picture of the little fish, it is very pretty. I don't see it very often so when I do it is a real treat. So, can anyone tell me more about this little jewel? I would really appreciate it. Thanks bunches. Agnes <Priolepis is the correct genus/name... have rarely seen this fish in the industry, never in the wild... I would try the large/r BB's dealing with reef aquariums (Central, Org) re hobbyists with direct experience here. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Panda Clown Goby? 7/26/05 Hey crew! <Hey, Mike G with you this afternoon.> How's everything this fine Saturday evening? Me and my wet friends are doing great. <Good to hear.> Anyway, on to the question: I found this goby (Paragobius lacunicolus) at Live Aquaria. They state it as a clown goby though I'm not so sure it is. They list it as a difficult specimen, though most clown gobies seem hardy. They don't list why it is supposedly difficult and I can't find any information on WWM or fishbase.org. Has anyone there had any experience with this fish or know it's true identity? Thanks for the help with this peculiar fish. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2230 <Well, LiveAquaria lists the creature as a Paragobius species, whereas the Clown Gobies we know of are Gobiodon species. So, it is not technically a Clown Goby, just a fish that looks like one.> As always, thanks for any help, <No problem, Mike G> Nick Saltwater Goby ID Please (7-11-05) Dear WetWebMedia Crew, <Hi there, Leslie here for the crew this evening.> I recently acquired an extremely ADORABLE goby, that I would like help identifying. <Sure, will be happy to see what I can do.> I will send you a picture post haste. But in the meanwhile.. here is a description. <A photo would be most helpful.> The Goby in question is under 1 inch long and looks physically exactly like the Yellow Clown Goby except white. It has small black freckly like spots on the tail and face, and a few thin horizontal stripes on each side the body. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2...wn_goby_3SM.jpg. <Thanks for the link but there is no image displayed, just the Reef Central logo.> Like the Yellow goby, the it has a suction cup under its belly and swims in the same manner. Personality wise, they seem exactly the same. <Well it certainly sounds like they could at least be closely related from the same genus, but it is really impossible to tell without a good photo. In the mean time you could give www.fishbase.org a shot. Have a look through the photos of the genus Gobiodon.> Your help is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Ivy Sorry I could not be more helpful, Leslie
Identity of "dwarf neon gobies" Hello Fish people I was going through the goby FAQs and came upon one which mentioned an unknown goby of Indian origin with blue spots going by the name of "dwarf neon goby". I too have seen fish of that name and origin, and some months ago sent several formalin preserved specimens to Helen Larson, an expert geobiologist at the museum in Darwin, Australia. The following is what she told me: "They are Amoya, as I suspected - a convenient catch-all genus for things that look like Acentrogobius but aren't. There's at least 27 nominal species and nobody has ever reviewed the genus. These look like griseus/gracilis type things but I can't put a name to them for sure. They're not A. moloanus or A. gracilis. I won't be able to identify them without first sorting out what all the species in the genus really are. I've seen most of the type specimens but a number were destroyed in WWII and so we have to guess from the original description what Herre had. First we need to properly define Acentrogobius, Amoya, Arenigobius, Yoga, Yongeichthys and Aulopareia, then we'll be able to solve this problem!" So at this time no one can say exactly what they are (and this kind of problem is by no means unusual in Gobiidae taxonomy!) However, they seem to be good brackish aquarium fish - easy to feed, although somewhat vulnerable to bacterial infection after shipping. Mine have not yet spawned. Cheers, Naomi Eventual Editor - International Goby Society Staff - Gobioid Research Institute <Thank you for this information. Will be posting. Bob Fenner> You say Potatoe Goby Bobster... What's the diff between Stonogobiops Stonogobius? Are they two different genera or is one misspelled/dated? <Mmm, well... Stonogobiops is a valid genus (of gobies), but there is no Stonogobius (there is a Stenogobius)... perhaps a misspelling (looks easy to do!). Bob F> Thanks bub A Goby by Another Name? 3/2/03 Sorry to bother you again Phil<No problem!> but I know what fish you are talking about by description only I am lacking their scientific or common specie name? Care to throw me a bone ;)<Sure, here's the scoop. There are two "Orangespotted" Gobies. One is Amblyeleotris guttata. A fine marine animal to 3.5 inches requiring a 20 gallon tank. It should have a Alpheid shrimp in the same tank. As they will pair together and share the same cave together. This goby is tan w/ orange spots along it's body. The other goby is the "Orangespotted Sleeper Goby". A not so fine animal to 5.5 inches requiring a 55 gallon tank full of live rock and live sand. It is difficult to keep, most starve to death. It is also tan but has more oval shaped orange spots on it's upper body. From it's lower mouth to it's lower tail it has a orange line . Near it's mouth are a few oval shaped neon blue spots. Hope this info helps! Phil> New Gobies? >To the best crew in the Northern Hemisphere: >>Now *that's* a compliment to write Mom about! >I was visiting my LFS tonight and saw a few gobies of interest that I cannot find information about. One they called a "lime stripe", which has light green stripes going vertically and was about 0.5" long. The other they called "Yashi" or "Yashu" or something (I usually bring my pen and paper into the store), also very small. I didn't speak to any employees because I was in a rush, but every time I pass the store I have to pop my head in! I was hoping you guys/gals can shed some light. One of them was referred to as "rare", but I don't remember which one. Thanks, Rich. >>Ah, the bane of common names. Part of the problem is that many blennies are confused for gobies, and vice versa. If there is *any* way you can get them to give you the actual taxonomical names of these fish, then I can further help you. Personally, I've heard of no fish going by those common names. Pics, perhaps, may be of some help, but that taxonomical name is the ticket, truth be told. If the shop has a marine I.D. bible, they should let you peruse it (assuming that it's a good shop, eh?). Let us know! Marina Chalk Face Goby - I Can't Really Help >Hi >>Hello. >I have 45 gallon marine tank with about 20 Kg of live rock. Livestock consists of a Yellow Tang, 2 Regal Tangs, 2 Clowns, a Mandarin and a Chalk Face Goby. There are several Turbo snails and about half a dozen red and blue legged hermits. These have all been living happily together for the last 15 months with no significant problems however, the Goby appears to be getting very thin and I am worried for his health. >>I wish I could help, but my searches are finding nothing for "chalk goby" (I need a genus and species name, here) nor "chalk face goby". I will toss out a link to a chalk bass, but I've not heard of these being particularly difficult in their husbandry. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Serranus&speciesname=tortugarum >I am not currently feeding him anything other than the frozen food that goes into the tank. This hasn't been an issue before. >>So, you're saying the animal has been fat and healthy the whole time you've had him? If so, over what period of time would you guess this weight loss has occurred? >I have taken the precaution of moving him to a qt to remove the competition for the food but would value any help you could offer. Thanks, Darren Coughlan >>Well, that was your best move. I will caution you to provide good cover for him, gobies tend to be happier with some cover (whether or not they use it). You haven't mentioned whether or not he's actually taking the food offered. If he IS, then I suspect an internal parasite. In that case, please use our site's Google bar on such - there are a couple of us who have dealt with these and have offered treatments to others in similar situations. If NOT, then I suggest offering him more meaty foods (all soaked in Selcon) - Mysis shrimp, bloodworms, small bits of krill, other shrimp, etc. (These may require a trip through a blender to get small enough bits for him - since I don't know exactly what you have, I cannot be more specific.) Be sure to watch water quality during this time. I'm very sorry I can't be of more help here, but if you can lead me in the right direction, also with a bit more information, maybe we can find a solution. Marina Neon Pink Goby Dear Sir, <Myles...
interesting spelling... is this (like Miles Standish) derived from the
Latin, miles, miletis?> I wonder whether you could help identify a
1" bright pink/fuchsia goby with silver swim bladder/main organ
sac. <Yikes!> I have no other information other than he is marine
tropical and charismatic. <Well, that's a start> I realize
this isn't much help, but I've gone through all the families on
your excellent site and I cannot for the life of me find any creature
that resembles it/he/she! I would greatly appreciate any help. P.S. I
can try and image it if that helps. <Please do... the gobies are the
largest family of fishes... take a look on fishbase.org, and if you
have LOTs of time, start scanning their pix... There are some Japanese
books on gobies and their relatives that are fantastic in their scope,
photography, but I don't recall ever seeing a pink goby... It might
have been purposely dyed (this happens) as a "novelty"... to
enhance its sale. Bob Fenner> Many thanks, M. Oakes (BSc.
Env.St.) What kind of goby? Just got a 4 inch goby
that has beautiful coloration: salmon-colored top fins with black spots
on them; body is yellowish-green with brown bands; sprinkling of neon
blue "freckles" around head/neck and near tail; tail is
pink/salmon with some lavender in it; "foot" fin is large and
totally black. What kind of goby is this and what part of the world
does it come from? Glenda Schill <The true gobies are the largest
family of marine fishes... some 1875 nominal species, with many more to
be found, named. You might have some luck looking through
Fishbase's listing: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=405
Left click "show species", but I can't discern your
species from the description. Do you have a photo to send along? Bob
Fenner> Brackish to fresh (goby id) thanks so much for the help. Her fish is a Goby I found out but Fishbase has about a hundred Goby types so she'll have to look there and identify. Thanks again. <Ah, you're welcome my friend. Bob Fenner> Dan Green banded goby Thanks about the advice on the green water, I found it was a phosphate problem. That has been sorted out and the water has started to clear. I've started to think to think about a sand sifter, and in a local shop, there is a green banded goby for sale, but I can't find any information on it. Could you tell me about it and what size it grows to? Are there any special requirements for it? My tank is 180l. <Yikes... any chance of a scientific name here? There are many fishes that fit the common name offered. Please take a look through our Gobies sections: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gobioidmars.htm and Sand Sifter FAQs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsiftfaqs.htm Bob Fenner> Thanks in advance, James Matthams Mostly gobies Hi again... :-) I don't know what the "butterfly gobies" really are, but they definitely aren't true gobies. They look sort of like miniaturized dwarf lionfish, mottled brown and beige and about 1" long, and nothing like the marine butterfly goby, Amblygobius albimaculatus. Do you know if this fish is a Sculpin, or a Scorpaenidae, or is it something else entirely? <Beige mostly? Maybe Stigmatogobius: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brgobioids.htm> Believe me, this was one of the first places I looked! It isn't a Stigmatogobius sadanundio; these guys don't look like knight gobies at all. <Well, thought I'd try an easy choice!> Saying they're an inch long is being generous... one of them is a half inch long plus tail, and they haven't gotten bigger in the months I've had them. They're smaller than my bumblebee gobies in the same tank. The pelvic fins are separate, not fused into a cup shape. The front dorsal fin has three spines; the back dorsal fin is similar in shape to an Apistogramma's dorsal fin. <Mmm, many possibilities... including (likely) hundreds of as-yet undescribed species>> A bit more research later, and I'm inclined to believe this is a Sculpin or sea robin of some sort. <Really!? And this small (at this point)?> It looks quite a bit like the "leopard sea robin" on http://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/isi/fieldgid.htm, but they don't show a good side view of the fish.... (fishbase.org isn't helping much, since a lot of their Searobin entries don't have illustrations). <Yes... they rely on "collaborators" to supply images (for gratis, I am gladly one)> - - - Meanwhile, I'm trying to mix up some soil like you suggested: peat, African violet mix, and laterite. The African violet mix has some white floating particles -- vermiculite? <Yes, likely... or perlite> -- and I'm wondering: should I take the floating bits out, or leave them in? <I'd take them out> The tank that needs the plants the most (it has the most brown algae) is the one with the sand substrate. I'd like to keep the sand, since the gobies are sand-sifters and love to bury themselves in the sand. How should I set up the soil and substrate in this tank? <Either make the sand deep enough over the substrate and soil bed, or better, place a screen mesh (plastic, like sold in large hardware store outlets) betwixt the two layers. Bob Fenner> many thanks, Ananda Goby Id - Black Prawn I am designing a website and I can the correct identification of the attached goby photo. Common name and Scientific name <Looks to be a Cryptocentrus cinctus. Please see here: http://wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm Bob Fenner> Goby Id -Peach Goby? I am designing a website and I can the correct identification of the attached goby photo. Common name and Scientific name <Another color variety of the one just sent... see the same section of our site: http://wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm Bob Fenner> Thank You Goby ID - White Stripped Prawn Goby???? I am designing a website and I can the correct identification of the attached goby photo. Common name and Scientific name <Mmm, please peruse the references listed where you were sent, and fishbase.org for the genera of shrimp gobies listed on WWM. Bob Fenner> Thank You Goby ID - Spotted Prawn Goby??? I am designing a website and I can the correct identification of the attached goby photo. Common name and Scientific name <Please peruse the surrounding/linked articles on WWM here. Bob Fenner> Thank You Purple spot goby??? I work at a fish store and someone recently dropped off what they called a "purple spot goby". I have been trying to find more information on this fish but I can't seem to find any. No one I know knows what other name, if any, this goby might be called. Someone suggested purple cheeked goby but I ran into a dead in there as well. I have been dealing with fish for years but have never seen this before. Do you think you can help me? Thank you, Carlena Frith <Well... neither I nor www.FishBase.org recognize either common names. You might try looking through our Gobioid materials: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gobioidmars.htm and if you can narrow down the possibility to the genus level, go to Fishbase, input it and sort through the couple of thousand species... they have pix of many, Google links to many more. As they say in the biz, good luck. Bob Fenner> Goby hi my name is Marshall Hill I have a yasha hashe goby can you give me a site I can visit to get more info or do you have any pages I can view thanks Marshall hill <Please read through our root web: www.WetWebMedia.com or use the search feature there. Bob Fenner> Unidentified Goby Good Morning, I have recently set up a 30 gallon brackish water fish tank. I live in south Florida and have a canal that runs through my backyard. There are many types of invasive tropical fish species in these canals and they are my main source of fish. There are a number of small fish which I believe to be some sort of goby. The fin underneath there body is fused together to form one large fin which they do use to hold themselves along the bottom or on rocks or clay pots. I have searched many WebPages and have been unable to find the type that we have. The fish has a large crest on its head and are a tan and black spotted pattern. They occasionally show small blue spots on the fins parts of body. The distinguishing feature that these fish have is the head crest, this I have not seen on any other goby p photos that I have viewed. Any advice you can provide would be fantastic. Thanks, Jess <Mmm, I would guess you may be looking at a Gobiesocidae, a Clingfish... maybe Gobiosox punctulatus. Go to fishbase.org and take a look see at their description, pix. Bob Fenner> Unidentified Goby - Lophogobius cyprinoides (Note: post link to Mar. Links and family files) Hi Mr. Fenner, Your site is well designed. I happened to be scanning the "Today's Questions and Answers Page" and a questioned titled "Unidentified Goby" caught my attention. Judging by the description of the fish (head crest) as well as the origin (brackish canal in Florida) I am fairly certain that the species in question is Lophogobius cyprinoides. <Thank you for your kind, and quick (!) identification. Will post (and the link to your academic association). Bob Fenner> Cheers, Naomi R. Eventual Editor - International Goby Society Staff - Gobioid Research Institute www.gobiidae.com Freshwater gobies Hi, I hope you can help identify some freshwater gobies that I recently bought. <I'll try> They are typical gobies, with sucker pelvic fins, about 2.5 inches long, with snaky cylindrical bodies. Olive green with yellowish transverse bands. So far pretty ordinary, except that they are algae eaters, scraping away at the bog wood in the tank. They also attempted to breed (or possibly just wrestling) though with no success in a community tank. I have searched the web at length and checked through all my textbooks for more information, but no success,. Naturally the dealer had no idea where they come from! Any ideas? <My best... to refer you to the folks/site: www.gobiidae.com for help. The description doesn't "ring a bell" right off... freshwater? Please do send your note along to Naomi R. Eventual Editor - International Goby Society Staff - Gobioid Research Institute Bob Fenner> Brian Ward Imperial Goby Dear Mr. Fenner: My friend has a 125 gallon tank with a new addition of what the pet store owner called an "imperial goby." It digs tunnels in the coral and seems to sift the sand and pop its head up to say "hello." It is really beautiful and resembles a bamboo shark in a kind of khaki with black pattern. I can't seem to find any information on this type and I am wondering if there is another name, perhaps scientific, you may suggest for me to search with or if you have any personal advice regarding the care of this goby? <Don't see such a descriptor on fishbase.org, nor my files. Do take a look on WWM starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gobies.htm and the links beyond to see if you can come up with the genus... then off to www.fishbase.org for possibly identifying the species.> Thanks so much for your time and patience, Kelli <You're welcome. Bob Fenner> Gobies I have been importing a small tan goby from India that has iridescent blue spot on its sides. Any idea what they are? <I would search on http://www.fishbase.org/search.cfm for your fish's identity.> They are sold as dwarf neon gobies. Pete Mang, The Fish Place, New York <Happy hunting! -Steven Pro> Engineer Gobies <Mis-ID'ed... Pholodichthys. RMF> <<Greetings, JasonC here...>> I wanted to ask a ? about engineer gobies but didn't really know where to post it. Most info I've found about them say they get 7-9" and pretty peaceful in a reef tank but I've seen a couple of posts where they can get up to a foot long and nasty and you have to worry about them eating other fish, shrimp, and crabs in the aquarium. But more posts saying how docile they are. I'm trying to find correct information on these fish and hoping maybe you could shed some light on this or send me to some sites with good info on them. I do know they dig and build. A LFS I go to has some young ones (tank raised) and was curious about them. She's very good when it comes to fish and corals and pushes tank raised animals but I like to back up my info just incase. Thanks a lot, Karla Steves <<Karla, I think with these fish their proclivity for eating other things you'd rather they not eat comes with size/age, but I not sure any of them get much larger than six inches or so, most around three or four max. Have you checked out Bob's article on these gobies? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm - do read this and the FAQs beyond. Cheers, J -- >> Engineer Blennies Hi All, <cheers, dear> When I was browsing through the Daily FAQs I came across the email regarding this fish. Jason commented that most don't get larger than 6". In my experience, right when engineer gobies reach 5-6" they start changing from their juvenile pattern to their more blotchy adult pattern. <agreed> The first one I had grew to almost 9" in a 30 gallon tank (no lies, I measured him). <I believe it and have seen the same... most aquarists never get to see this amazing color change and size> Currently, my two (that I have hoped have paired up) are almost at 8" and they have only been mature for a about 6 months. As for reports of eating crabs and shrimp, mine seem to have a hard time eating whole krill, and they haven't ever bothered my hermits (I can't keep shrimp with my Hawkfish). Plus they really hate to leave their home completely, if they can't reach food that is in the water column they won't chase it. Is there any other sites that have information regarding this species since from what I have seen is very limited? Kim <much appreciation for the clarification... indeed not a lot of info out there on them. Do keyword searched for "Worm Goby", "Convict Goby", "Convict Blenny" (listed as a blenny in Burgess). Best regards> |
|
|
Features: |
|
| Featured Sponsors: |
crop
