All fish / Oxudercidae (Gobiidae, subfamily Sicydiinae)

Black-fin Stiphodon goby

Stiphodon percnopterygionus

Also known as blackfin stiphodon, black fin goby, stiphodon goby, rainbow stiphodon, neon goby, stiphodon percnopterygionus, blue neon stiphodon, ナンヨウボウズハゼ, 黑鳍枝牙虾虎鱼, 黑鳍枝牙鰕虎

A small stream goby. Males show iridescent blue to greenish flanks with dark fins, while females are pale brown with two dark lengthwise stripes. Keepers like its bright colour, and it is fun to watch as it clings to rocks with its sucker-like pelvic fins and grazes algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °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: grazes biofilm and algae from rocks, plus algae wafers and small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Western Pacific islands: southern Japan (Ryukyus), Taiwan, Guam and Micronesia

Breeding

Eggs are laid under stones and guarded by the male. The larvae drift out to sea and live there before coming back to fresh water, so raising young in captivity is very difficult and seldom done.

Good to know

It needs clean, well-oxygenated water with a current and plenty of algae-covered rock, and a tight lid because it can climb out. Males squabble over territory, and the species is easily mixed up with other blue Stiphodon sold under the same trade names.