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Gobies

There are quite a few small fishes referred to as gobies. Of the huge order Gobiiformes, the family Gobiidae (the so-called true gobies) includes over 2,000 species in at least 200 genera. Gobioid species often comprise an amazing 35% of the total number of individual fish, as well as 20% of fish biodiversity, in coral reef environments.

The gobiidae have a worldwide distribution. They occur primarily in shallow, benthic tropical and temperate habitats. Though most are marine, there are some brackish and freshwater species. Favored environments include dense coral stands, tide pools, and seagrass meadows. In brackish water and estuarine habitats, they are most often encountered in mangrove swamps, salt marshes and the lower reaches of rivers. A relative handful are completely adapted to freshwater environments. All types are very commonly associated with burrows.

The characteristic gobioid morphology is rather distinctive. The majority are quite modest in size with most reaching under four inches in length as adults. Indeed, gobies include some of the smallest vertebrates known. After size, their most remarkable feature is their fused pelvic fins. Forming a sort of suction cup, this animal is often seen sticking to rocks and corals or tank panels.

Many goby species exhibit strong male-female pairing. Pairs often build and guard burrows together. They commonly spawn in captivity. Males guards the eggs from predators and constantly fan them to keep them clean and oxygenated.

A few popular aquarium gobies form symbiotic relationships with other species. For example, shrimp gobies (or prawn gobies) maintain burrows in which they cohabitate with certain shrimps. Another, very different example of symbiosis is shown by the neon gobies; these "cleaner gobies" remove parasites from the bodies of usually much larger fish.

In this section, you will learn which gobies are available to marine aquarists, which of these species are available as captive bred and how to care for them.

14 Posts

A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

Reef fish, whether they are predators or grazers, play a huge part in maintaining the balance of the coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs
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What Kind of Copepods do Mandarins Eat?

The Mandarin Goby is a very captivating fish. This fish is mostly prized because of its appearance. Its vibrant colors and patterns are
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Keeping a Coldwater Marine Aquarium

Marine aquarists have always had access to temperate species. In fact, in the days before improved packaging/shipping procedures
Read More about Keeping a Coldwater Marine Aquarium

The brave and helpful cleaner shrimp in the mouth of a fish!

3 Symbiotic Relationships in the Marine Aquarium

Symbiotic relationships are perhaps the most amazing thing that occurs in marine environments. While there are some that you can
Read More about 3 Symbiotic Relationships in the Marine Aquarium

A Biota Link's Goby

Link’s Gobies in the Refugium

With perhaps 20,000 fish species inhabiting our planet, it’s hard to imagine that we’ve already fully explored the potential for each
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Get Your Gobies: The Perfect Marine Nano Tank Fish

There are all sorts of things that make some aquarium fish more desirable than others, for beginners in particular. Yes, yes, color is
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4 Gobies For Beginners

There are hundreds of different goby species, and they all require all kinds of diets and housing. This list names the top four gobies
Read More about 4 Gobies For Beginners

The electric light show of a fairy wrasse

4 Underrated Saltwater Fish

When looking at fish for beginners, you are usually going to see the same fish recommended repeatedly. This list is for the people who
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Diamond Gobies make a great beginner fish

3 Beginner Saltwater Aquarium Fish

When you first set up your aquarium the first thing that comes to your mind is "What are good beginner fish?” Before jumping to that,
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A captive Bred Court Jester

4 Captive Bred Fish For Beginners

As years go by, more and more fish in this industry have been successfully captive bred, by incredible companies such as BIOTA . This
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Four Great Nano Saltwater Fish

Keeping nano saltwater fish tanks is challenging due to their inherent complications. For example, it is much harder to keep the
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Court Jester Goby

The Court Jester Goby: An Essential Nano Reef Fish?

When it comes to saltwater aquarium (especially those for a reef tank), there are a lot of different attributes to consider. Of course,
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Petite and Pretty: A Look at the Neon Goby (Elacatinus spp.)

If there was ever a group of fishes that was just about perfect for keeping in marine aquaria it is the neon gobies. These creatures
Read More about Petite and Pretty: A Look at the Neon Goby (Elacatinus spp.)

live food for mandarin fish, live copepods for saltwater tank

The Lovely Mandarin

Salt water aquariums can house some of the most beautiful fish. It is a hypnotic experience to watch these creatures move through their
Read More about The Lovely Mandarin

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