All fish / Oxudercidae (Gobiidae, Sicydiinae)

Ornate Stiphodon Goby

Stiphodon ornatus

Also known as ornate goby, stiphodon goby, ornate stiphodon, neon stiphodon, blue neon goby, stiphodon ornata, スティフォドン・オルナトゥス, ikan beledu, 斯氏鰕虎

A small stream goby that uses its fused pelvic fins as a sucker to cling to rocks in fast water. Males show bright metallic blue or turquoise colouring with dark lines along the body, and females are paler with dark stripes. Keepers like it for its colour and lively grazing behaviour in hillstream setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

4 cm

Temperature

20 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a larger group in a roomy tank

Diet

Herbivore: biofilm and algae grazed from rocks, supplemented with algae wafers, spirulina and small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Western Sumatra, Indonesia (Mentawai Islands region streams)

Breeding

It is amphidromous: eggs hatch into tiny larvae that drift to the sea and develop in marine water before returning to rivers. Spawning sometimes happens in aquariums, but raising the larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

Needs well oxygenated, clean, flowing water and established rocks with algae, so avoid adding it to new tanks. Males squabble over territory, and the tank needs a tight lid as these gobies can climb glass.