All fish / Gobiidae (Sicydiinae)

Banded Sicyopus Goby

Sicyopus zosterophorus

Also known as red-tailed goby, zosterophorus goby, banded stream goby, sicyopus goby, red tail rock goby, ルリボウズハゼ

A small, slender stream goby whose males show a bright red or orange rear body and tail, with dark bands and a pale front half. It lives on rocks in fast, clear, well oxygenated island streams and is kept by enthusiasts for its striking colour and interesting clinging behaviour using fused pelvic fins.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

21 to 26 °C

pH

6.8 to 7.8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

One male with a few females, or a small group in a larger tank

Diet

Omnivore: biofilm and algae grazing plus small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Western Pacific islands: Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, southern Japan

Breeding

It is amphidromous: eggs hatch in fresh water and the tiny larvae drift to the sea before returning to rivers as juveniles. Spawning may happen in aquaria, but raising the marine larval stage has rarely if ever succeeded.

Good to know

Needs strong flow, high oxygen, cool clean water and a covered tank, as it can climb glass. Males can be territorial with each other, and almost all stock is wild caught.