All fish / Gobiidae

Long-finned Sleeper Goby

Valenciennea longipinnis

Also known as longfin goby, long-finned goby, ocellated sleeper goby, lantern goby, striped sleeper goby, longfin sleeper goby, sand sifting goby, サザナミハゼ, 长鳍凡塘鳢, 长鳍虾虎

A slender pale goby with rows of orange to brown blotches along the flanks and tall, elongated dorsal fins. It is kept for its sand sifting habit, which turns over the substrate and helps keep sand beds clean, and for its calm nature.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: sifts sand for small invertebrates; offer frozen mysis, brine shrimp, copepods and sinking meaty foods several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: eastern Indian Ocean to western Pacific, including Indonesia, Philippines, northern Australia and Melanesia

Breeding

Pairs dig a burrow under rocks and the male guards eggs laid inside it. Spawning occasionally happens in aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is rarely achieved.

Good to know

Needs a deep fine sand bed and a mature tank with plenty of live food, as sand sifters often starve in new systems; it may jump, so use a tight lid. Rockwork must be stable because it burrows beneath it.