Goby Id

[Fella]

I currently have a pair of these in my brackish tank. I bought them as "high fin goby" and I can't find any details with regards to them.

They're a bit washed out right now -

That's the best photo I've got so far. Closest Id so far possibly Oligolepis acutipennis?

 

[nmonks]

Are you sure these aren't Awaous flavus (=Awaous strigatus)? Apart from the lack of bands on the flanks, they have the right shape, especially the head.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Fella]

The dorsals are transparent without colour, and there is a definite dark vertical line beneath the eye. I also think they're too large, at 4 or 5 inches, although I'm not sure how big flavus reaches.

 

[nmonks]

A. flavus gets to about 10 cm or so, if my specimens were typical (picture below). They certainly had a stripe through the eye, but the dorsals were coloured, though less so on the female. It's the shape of the head and the shininess of the gill covers that makes me think your fish are either this species or one very closely related.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[pica_nuttalli]

wow, those are absolutely lovely gobies... the iridescence on that dorsal is fantastic. are those in your brackish tank, neale?

 

[nmonks]

Those are pretty fish, aren't they. But I made the mistake of buying big adults of a species that only lives for two years, and within a year, both were dead. Anyway, they're a freshwater species, though they tolerate slightly brackish water just fine. Nice fish, a bit like eartheater cichlids in habits, and totally peaceful. Well worth getting if you can find the babies on sale. As adults, they're not great value. Not easy to breed because they have planktonic, possibly marine, larvae.

Cheers,

Neale

wow, those are absolutely lovely gobies... the iridescence on that dorsal is fantastic. are those in your brackish tank, neale?