All fish / Gobiidae

Twostripe Goby

Valenciennea helsdingenii

Also known as two stripe goby, twostripe sleeper goby, black-lined sleeper goby, railway glider, helsdingen's goby, two-striped goby, sleeper goby, フタスジハゼ, 双带凡塔塘鳢, 双线鸳鸯虾虎

A slender pale grey to white goby with two dark lengthwise stripes running from snout to tail, and a black spot on the first dorsal fin. Keepers like it because it sifts the sand bed all day, which keeps the substrate stirred and clean.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: sifts sand for small invertebrates; offer mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood and sinking pellets several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Australia and the western Pacific

Breeding

Pairs dig a burrow under rocks where the female lays eggs that the male guards. Spawning sometimes happens in captivity, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

Needs a deep, fine sand bed and a mature tank with plenty of live food in the substrate, or it may starve; it can jump, so a tight lid is essential. Its constant sand sifting can bury corals placed on the substrate.