All fish / Eleotridae

Tropical Carp Gudgeon

Hypseleotris cyprinoides

Also known as empire gudgeon, tropical gudgeon, golden sleeper, carp gudgeon, yellow gudgeon, ヒナハゼ, 似鲤黄黝鱼

This is a small, slender sleeper goby that hovers in midwater instead of resting on the bottom, and breeding males turn a rich golden yellow with darker fins. Keepers like it for its calm shoaling behaviour and its suitability for planted or lightly brackish tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Group of 6 or more

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and small crustaceans, with some quality granules once settled

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific coastal rivers, from East Africa through South and Southeast Asia to New Guinea, Japan and Pacific islands

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid on hard surfaces. The larvae are thought to drift out to the sea or estuaries before returning to fresh water, so raising young in captivity is rarely achieved.

Good to know

It tolerates a little salt and does well in hard water, but it may eat shrimp fry and very small fish. It is often confused with Australian Hypseleotris species.