Help Me Identify My Gobies

[whitney]

Hi,

I just got two freshwater gobies from a local aquarium shop.....They were labelled as "clown" gobies- but clown gobies listed on the web look very different and are saltwater.

I have been doing some "freshwater goby" searches and come up with nothing...perhaps you guys will be able to help.

They are about 1.5 inches long- very light, marbled grey (almost white)- with a black stripe running vertically down their bodies from their dorsal fins- and another black stripe across their faces that make them look like they're wearing sunglasses- they also have a touch of yellow on the tips of their dorsal fins.

Thanks for your help.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

Hi I bought a fish before that was also labeled clown goby. I identified it as a marble goby, maybe this could be your fish too.

 

[whitney]

mmm.....they don't look like the pictures of marble gobies I see on the web.....

What did yours look like? The black markings on mine are very distinct....gives them a panda type look. I'd post a picture, but I can't figure out how to do it on this site.

 

[Ranger]

mmm.....they don't look like the pictures of marble gobies I see on the web.....

What did yours look like? The black markings on mine are very distinct....gives them a panda type look. I'd post a picture, but I can't figure out how to do it on this site.

I can't really help u with the actual ID. But I can with the photo upload. From what I've seen there isn't a way to internally upload photos, so you'll need to get to an outside site (I use photobucket.com, its free and easy to use.) Then just insert the IMG tag, and you have ur pic.

 

[helterskelter]

Yes u will need to get a photo as the are 1000's of goby type of fish

U can upload to this site, but for what ever reasons not this forum, tro being cheeky and posting to a nother part of the site and then linking it here.

Try the members photo's section

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=22

 

[fish-r-fancy]

My marble goby had a tan/sand color stripe on the top of its head that went all the way down it's body. The rest of it's body was a dark brown or black.

 

[nmonks]

The first thing you should do is try and establish if its a sleeper goby (family Eleotridae) or a "true" goby (family Gobiidae). Sleeper gobies have two ventral fins, like those of other fish, while true gobies usually have the ventral fins fused together to form a single, often disc-shaped, sucker.

Sleeper gobies tend to be larger (~15 cm) and much more predatory. True gobies are usually smaller (~5 cm) and feed on plankton and/or small benthic invertebrates such as worms and insect larvae.

The goby family is one the biggest families of fish, and identifying them without a picture is next to impossible. However, my best guess from your description is that it is Redigobius balteatus. This fish is a brackish water species that will not survive indefinitely in freshwater. However, it doesn't need much salt, and at SG 1.002+ could be kept easily enough with salt-tolerant fish such as guppies, glassfish, bumblebee gobies, and so on. It is territorial but easily bullied, so choose tankmates with care.

Cheers,

Neale