All fish / Gobiidae

Orange-spotted Sleeper Goby

Valenciennea puellaris

Also known as maiden goby, orange spotted goby, orange-dashed goby, pretty prawn-goby, diamond goby, sand sifting goby, sleeper goby, yes, サザナミハゼ, 雪花鳍塘鳢, 红点虾虎, 橙点鰕虎

A pale, slender goby covered in bright orange spots and dashes, with blue markings on the face. It is kept for its sand-sifting habit, which keeps the substrate turned over 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

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: sifts sand for small invertebrates; offer mysis, enriched 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 Samoa, north to Japan and south to Australia

Breeding

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

Good to know

Needs a deep, fine sand bed and a mature tank with plenty of live fauna, otherwise it often starves. It is a strong jumper, so a tight lid is essential, and its digging can undermine loose rockwork.