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Annie's goby

Stiphodon annieae

Also known as Annieae neon goby, Annie's dwarf goby

FreshwaterFish

Annie's goby (Stiphodon annieae)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Halmahera streams, Indonesia

Overview

Annie's goby is a tiny, peaceful stream goby that lives by grazing algae and biofilm. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

Annie's goby was named by Keith for his wife, Annie. The fish that carries her name wears more color per millimeter than nearly any freshwater fish.

Caring for the Annie's goby

Annie's goby eats biofilm off stone, like other Stiphodon gobies, so the tank has to be mature before it arrives. A bare, newly cycled setup starves it regardless of what you feed. Keep a small group in a river tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Give it strong flow, smooth cobble and bright light to grow algae on the stone.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8, and keep the oxygen high. Once the fish settle, supplement their grazing with algae wafers and frozen cyclops.

It is peaceful and does fine alone or in a group. Males carry an electric blue body against a dark back, while females are a plain striped brown, as in most of the genus. The males hold small grazing patches and display at each other without damage.

Like all Stiphodon, Annie's goby is amphidromous. In the wild its larvae wash out to sea, and the juveniles climb back upriver. It will not breed in a tank, since the larvae need salt water and a long drift.

Good to know

Stiphodon annieae is a member of the family Oxudercidae, also known as the Annieae neon goby or Annie's dwarf goby. A male can switch its blue color off in seconds. Every Annie's goby in the trade is wild caught.

In the wild

Annie's goby comes from clear, fast streams on Halmahera, in eastern Indonesia. The water there runs over stone in strong light.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Annie's goby is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Annie's goby need?

An Annie's goby needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Annie's goby need?

An Annie's goby is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does an Annie's goby eat?

An Annie's goby grazes biofilm off stone, so it needs a mature tank. Once it settles, supplement its grazing with algae wafers and frozen cyclops.

How big does an Annie's goby get?

An adult Annie's goby reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

How can you tell a male Annie's goby from a female?

Males carry an electric blue body against a dark back. Females are a plain striped brown.

How does an Annie's goby breed?

Annie's goby is amphidromous, so its larvae wash out to sea and the juveniles climb back upriver. Because the larvae need salt water and a long drift, it will not breed in a tank.

Related species