Two Different Kinds Of Bumblebee Gobies?

[fishlette]

ive only just realised while sitting here staring at my gobies, that two have four neat bands and the other 3 have all over the place markings. are there two different kinds of gobies or does this indicate poor breeding in those that arent so well marked?

these are a couple of the nicely marked ones

and one of the not so well marked

excuse the quality of that last one. tis hard getting the little buggers ina good spot for photo taking.

 

[Puffdaddy]

Brachygobius xanthoaona -and- Brachygobius nunas

check out this site.
Bumblebee Goby

 

[fishlette]

Brachygobius xanthoaona -and- Brachygobius nunas

check out this site.
Bumblebee Goby

thank you

and what is the fish you have in your avatar? its so cute

 

[andywg]

That page is by PeterM if I am not mistaken (a member of this forum). I am somewhat unsure of his distinction on species.

Naomi Deventhal states that most of the BBG in the trade are Brachygobius doriae and that identifying this genus down to a species level usually requires sedation or killing of the goby and counting the scales under the microscope.

I think the different markings are more likely to just be variations on a species, though I am no expert and may be wrong.

 

[Puffdaddy]

My avatar is a picture of a young Green Spotted Puffer.

 

[Fella]

That page is by PeterM if I am not mistaken (a member of this forum). I am somewhat unsure of his distinction on species.

Naomi Deventhal states that most of the BBG in the trade are Brachygobius doriae and that identifying this genus down to a species level usually requires sedation or killing of the goby and counting the scales under the microscope.

I think the different markings are more likely to just be variations on a species, though I am no expert and may be wrong.

I'd agree with that.

 

[nmonks]

Indeed. Distrust any aquarist who says they can identify a BBG on the basis of colouration: if the scientists can't do that, aquarists certainly can't. B. xanthozona is very rare in the wild and never traded. B. doriae, B. nunus, and B. sabanus are all very similar and part of a single "species group". There intermediate forms that are difficult to identify to any one of these species. So while most 'large' (up to 4 cm) BBGs can be referred to this species group, beyond that and you're basically taking a guess. 'Small' BBGs include B. aggregatus and B. mekongensis, and while they may get into the trade periodically, they aren't deliberately traded.

Note also that some of these are strictly freshwater fish in the wild and none are exclusively brackish water fish either. Some aquarists (e.g. Frank Schaefer) argue that brackish water helps because you can feed them live brine shrimps more easily. Other aquarists (e.g. Naomi Delventhal) have had success keeping and breeding them in freshwater tanks. My experience is that diet, not water chemistry, is the key issue when keeping them. Provided your BBGs are feeding, you can keep them in freshwater or brackish water as you prefer.

• Brachygobius aggregatus - FW/BW
• Brachygobius doriae - FW/BW
• Brachygobius kabiliensis - FW/BW
• Brachygobius mekongensis - FW
• Brachygobius nunus - FW/BW
• Brachygobius sabanus - FW/BW
• Brachygobius sua - FW/BW
• Brachygobius xanthomelas - FW
• Brachygobius xanthozona - FW/BW

Cheers, Neale

Naomi Deventhal states that most of the BBG in the trade are Brachygobius doriae and that identifying this genus down to a species level usually requires sedation or killing of the goby and counting the scales under the microscope.

 

[fishlette]

thanks for that guys. i guess it doesnt really matter too much it was just a curiosity thing.

feeding is osmething i have struggled with until yesterday when bright spark me had a great idea. becuase they are in with the fry, i had trouble getting the brine shrimp to the bottom where the gobies could eat them as the babies got them before the made it to the bottom. the odd one would here and there but generally not. i tried putting their flakes in the confine n dine to distract them and then put the live food in on the other side of the tank. only problem with live food is it never goes where you want it to and most of the time they kept swimming straight into the fry anyway and still didnt make it to the bottom. i was hesitant to keep using the frozen blood worm as they didnt take to it much and i had no way of creating a flow at the bottom of the tank until i realised that my hang on filter has a setting where you can turn it up or down. so on turning up the flow it makes everything on the bottom move around. im still having issues though with them getting enough. they all seem to be fine and healthy. bright colours, swimming around having their little spats over territory etc are there any ideas about making sure they are getting enough food?

 

[dizzied]

If you're having problems getting the live food to the bbg, try loading the food in an eyedropper or even a turkey baster and squirt in their direction.

 

[fishlette]

If you're having problems getting the live food to the bbg, try loading the food in an eyedropper or even a turkey baster and squirt in their direction.

oh...such a simple idea i feel like an idiot for not thinking of it thank you very much

 

[Nevergone815]

If you're having problems getting the live food to the bbg, try loading the food in an eyedropper or even a turkey baster and squirt in their direction.

oh...such a simple idea i feel like an idiot for not thinking of it thank you very much

Sometimes we just don't think. Now you know... It's alright, no shame in that .