All fish / Oxudercidae

Two-spot Goby

Rhinogobius duospilus

Also known as duospilus goby, rhinogobius duospilus, two spot goby, twospot goby, chinese stream goby, stream goby, rhino goby, hong kong goby, ヨシノボリ, 溪吻虾虎鱼, 双斑吻虾虎鱼

A small, perky goby from fast, clear hill streams, with a mottled brown body; males show orange spots on the cheeks, blue edging on the fins and a dark spot at the front of the first dorsal fin. It is kept for its lively perching behaviour on stones and because it suits cool, well-oxygenated stream setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

4 cm

Temperature

18 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

One male with two or more females, or several in a larger tank with plenty of territories

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops; some accept small granules

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southern China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong) and northern Vietnam

Breeding

Males claim a cave under a flat stone, where females lay eggs on the ceiling and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning is fairly easy in a mature tank, but the tiny fry need infusoria and rotifers at first and are harder to raise.

Good to know

Males are territorial towards each other and may nip at shrimp fry, so provide many caves and sightlines broken by rocks. Needs strong flow and high oxygen, and does not tolerate warm, stagnant water.