All fish / Oxudercidae

Bearded Worm Goby

Taenioides cirratus

Also known as bearded eel goby, eel goby, worm goby, purple eel goby, dragon goby, bearded goby, ヒゲワラスボ, 须鳗虾虎鱼, 鳗虾虎

A long, eel-like goby with a pinkish purple to grey brown body, tiny hidden eyes and short barbels on the underside of the head. Its dorsal and anal fins run along much of the body and join the tail. Keepers buy it as an oddity that burrows in soft sand and comes out to feed.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a large tank with plenty of burrows

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, mysis, brine shrimp, chopped prawn and sinking meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Brackish

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific estuaries and coastal mudflats, from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to China, Japan and northern Australia

Breeding

It spawns in burrows on estuarine mudflats, and the larvae probably need brackish or marine conditions to develop. There are no reliable reports of it breeding in home aquariums.

Good to know

It is often sold as a freshwater fish, but it needs brackish water to stay healthy in the long term, plus a deep, soft sand bed and a lid that fits tightly. Very small fish and shrimps may get eaten, and it is easily confused with the dragon goby, Gobioides broussonnetii.