New Species Of Goby?

[Stacy84]

HI,
After recenting puchasing two fish called "dusty panther gobies" by my LFS I can not locate any information about this fish. I was hoping you guys might be able to give some information about my new tank mates. They do seem to be gobies in that they don't seem to have a swim bladder and have basic similar body appearance. However, they have coloration that resembles a reptile in desert camo. Even their eyes are reptilian. They have "fancy" fins including a dorsal fin that resembles a catfish or pleco of which they defensively display when threatened. Currently I am hoping not only for the ID of this fish but if anyone has information on good food choices and whether these guys really are freshwater or are brackish like most gobies. So far I haven't been able to get them to eat blood worms (live or freeze dried), flakes, brine shrimp (freeze dried and frozen and I am planning on trying live), daphnia(frozen), frozen shrimp, and little pieces of catfish wafers (I literally am trying everything I have and even purchasing more to get them to eat). The LFS has no clue (i guess thats the usual...sadly). Any info at all will be great!! Thanks in advance!
-Stacy

I will add photos as soon as possible, Thanks!

 

[Gill]

Hi,

Check on Here very comprehensive site on Gobies Gobies

I think I know the ones you have - do they change color like a cuttlefish can and have a very dark Vertical Stripe running Down there Eyes.

I think they are Algae Grazers only so try some Algae Wafers or Spirulina.

also found this >>> http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...em.php?news=870

 

[Gill]

Is it these

 

[Stacy84]

Hi,

Check on Here very comprehensive site on Gobies Gobies

I think I know the ones you have - do they change color like a cuttlefish can and have a very dark Vertical Stripe running Down there Eyes.

I think they are Algae Grazers only so try some Algae Wafers or Spirulina.

also found this >>> http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...em.php?news=870

Thanks for recommending those sites! However I still can't find the particular goby i have. It is really different looking in that it is mostly fins and it's body isn't as elongated as most gobies. It has the body of a small bumble bee goby (minus the colors of course). I haven't noticed its colors changing yet but its eyes do have the stripe like a lizard. I will try some more wafers and see what happens. Also I will add some photos tonight. Thanks again!

Is it these

Thanks! But unfortunatly that isn't my goby. I will post pics tonight.

 

[nmonks]

Hello Stacy,

A couple of questions:

Do they have the "sucker" ventral fin or regular ventral fins? Gobies normally have the two ventral fins fused to make a disc-like sucker. Other fish do not. Broadly, the gobies traded are smallish and harmless, but some of the goby-like sleepers, which do not have the ventral sucker, get quite big and most are predatory.

What is the shape of the head and mouth? Typically, harmless gobies have a round head with an upwards pointing, curved mouth. Predatory sleepers have a long, conical head with big, trapdoor-like mouth that opens very big (for swallowing prey).

My gut feeling from your mentions of reptilian appearance and camouflaged colouration is that these are predatory sleeper gobies. Nice fish, but since they range from 10 cm to over 60 cm, you do need to be careful with them.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[AMS]

"Dusky Panther Goby" is almost certainly Neovespicula depressifrons. I have seen this name used for this fish many times, liveaquaria.com is selling them under that name as well (link). Neovespicula depressifrons is not a goby, but rather a waspfish. They won't do well in freshwater, they do best at high-end brackish water around 1.010 SG.

 

[Stacy84]

"Dusky Panther Goby" is almost certainly Neovespicula depressifrons. I have seen this name used for this fish many times, liveaquaria.com is selling them under that name as well (link). Neovespicula depressifrons is not a goby, but rather a waspfish. They won't do well in freshwater, they do best at high-end brackish water around 1.010 SG.

THAT"S HIM! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I had a funny feeling these guys would be brackish, espacially given that they are called a "goby". I have a brackish tank (they are currently in my sick tank) that has a puffer, mono, and scat. Right now it is forty gallons but in a year or two i plan on upgrading to a sizable tank (my fish are just little babies right now). Do you think that these "gobys" will do okay in that tank? i don't think my puffer will bother them, espacially if they are venomous as the link you gave me says. Also, they seem to hang out on the bottom and in plants so I don't think my puffer would even notice them. i have heard that my GSP is okay with bumble gobies for that reason. Do you think the same idea would apply? My GSP isn't aggresive yet, but like I said he is just a baby....
AGAIN THANKS!

 

[AMS]

"Dusky Panther Goby" is almost certainly Neovespicula depressifrons. I have seen this name used for this fish many times, liveaquaria.com is selling them under that name as well (link). Neovespicula depressifrons is not a goby, but rather a waspfish. They won't do well in freshwater, they do best at high-end brackish water around 1.010 SG.

THAT"S HIM! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I had a funny feeling these guys would be brackish, espacially given that they are called a "goby". I have a brackish tank (they are currently in my sick tank) that has a puffer, mono, and scat. Right now it is forty gallons but in a year or two i plan on upgrading to a sizable tank (my fish are just little babies right now). Do you think that these "gobys" will do okay in that tank? i don't think my puffer will bother them, espacially if they are venomous as the link you gave me says. Also, they seem to hang out on the bottom and in plants so I don't think my puffer would even notice them. i have heard that my GSP is okay with bumble gobies for that reason. Do you think the same idea would apply? My GSP isn't aggresive yet, but like I said he is just a baby....
AGAIN THANKS!

Your welcome Stacy. The waspfish should be OK in your current brackish tank, but I would be worried about the puffer. Also, what is the salinity? As the puffer matures they become more aggressive, so at the moment the waspfish may be fine hanging out in the plants, but it's a crapshoot when the GSP ages. Waspfish are actually fairly active, I would be a bit concerned if they are just staying on the bottom in between plants.

PS- Mono's and Scats are schooling fish, they shouldn't be housed singly. Also, in your first post you mentioned trouble feeding them, which is expected. Waspfish are very picky about foods initally, they will usually only take live foods from the start, but can be weaned onto frozen. I would try gathering some live prawns, earthworms, and small fish (livebearer fry works great) and similar foods for now just to get them to eat, then try switching to frozen foods such as silversides, mysis shrimp, krill and the like.

Good Luck.

 

[Stacy84]

"Dusky Panther Goby" is almost certainly Neovespicula depressifrons. I have seen this name used for this fish many times, liveaquaria.com is selling them under that name as well (link). Neovespicula depressifrons is not a goby, but rather a waspfish. They won't do well in freshwater, they do best at high-end brackish water around 1.010 SG.

THAT"S HIM! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I had a funny feeling these guys would be brackish, espacially given that they are called a "goby". I have a brackish tank (they are currently in my sick tank) that has a puffer, mono, and scat. Right now it is forty gallons but in a year or two i plan on upgrading to a sizable tank (my fish are just little babies right now). Do you think that these "gobys" will do okay in that tank? i don't think my puffer will bother them, espacially if they are venomous as the link you gave me says. Also, they seem to hang out on the bottom and in plants so I don't think my puffer would even notice them. i have heard that my GSP is okay with bumble gobies for that reason. Do you think the same idea would apply? My GSP isn't aggresive yet, but like I said he is just a baby....
AGAIN THANKS!

Your welcome Stacy. The waspfish should be OK in your current brackish tank, but I would be worried about the puffer. Also, what is the salinity? As the puffer matures they become more aggressive, so at the moment the waspfish may be fine hanging out in the plants, but it's a crapshoot when the GSP ages. Waspfish are actually fairly active, I would be a bit concerned if they are just staying on the bottom in between plants.

PS- Mono's and Scats are schooling fish, they shouldn't be housed singly. Also, in your first post you mentioned trouble feeding them, which is expected. Waspfish are very picky about foods initally, they will usually only take live foods from the start, but can be weaned onto frozen. I would try gathering some live prawns, earthworms, and small fish (livebearer fry works great) and similar foods for now just to get them to eat, then try switching to frozen foods such as silversides, mysis shrimp, krill and the like.

Good Luck.

The waspfish are moved to my brackish tank and they ate frozen blood worms today! Wahoo! So far they have been moving around happily and even seem to like to play in the current (my tank has two filters so it produces a nice current). No problems with the scat and mono (right now they school together and i plan on getting more as soon as i upgrade the tank) nipping them and the puffer was too funny! He followed them around at about an inch distance and watched them (freaked me out little that he would bite them) and then five minutes later lost interest and since then seems to ignore them. However, I have the same concern about when he gets bigger...i guess I have about six months to see how it goes. If neccessary i will get two new tanks. I always want to get other brackish fish but the puffer limits that so it would be fun to have another tank. Thanks so much for all your help!

p.s. I just started converting to brackish because the fish came from freshwater and are still babies. Right now it is at 1.008. I am increasing it at about .002 per week. I will stop at 1.010 for awhile until the fish get bigger. Eventually the tank will end up high end brackish and then full marine as I have read that all my fish need increasing salinity as they get bigger and once they are full grown require full marine for healthy lives. If you have anything to add on this please do! I love my fish and have been trying to create the best enviornment possible with what knowledge I can get from this website (one of the best sources) and other websites. My LFS's are horrible! The tell me not to keep my fish in brackish at all and that it will kill them.....so everything i know is from my own research.

 

[AMS]

Glad to hear everything is going well Stacy. I have nothing else to add, except IMO the waspfish will most likely need their own tank in the future. Waspfish grow to about 2.5 inches in length, when the GSP, scat(s), and mono(s) mature they will be substantially larger than the waspfish, it will be impossible for them to compete for food.