TankBud

Birdsong goby

Stiphodon surrufus

Also known as Surrufus dwarf goby

FreshwaterFish

Birdsong goby (Stiphodon surrufus)
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 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Leyte streams, Philippines

Overview

The birdsong goby is a near-nano algae grazer, a peaceful bottom fish for a small, long-running tank. It is for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The birdsong goby is one of the smallest stream gobies kept and one of the smallest amphidromous fish known. It is small enough to rest on a fingertip.

Caring for the birdsong goby

Build the whole tank around the birdsong goby's tiny size and its feeding. A tank of at least 11 gal (40 L) suits it once it has run long enough to grow algae. Run it shallow and stony, with rounded stones, a powerhead for a steady current and strong lighting to feed the biofilm.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8, and change it often. Keep the flow gentle to moderate and the oxygen high.

It lives on the bottom and scrapes biofilm, algae and diatoms from hard surfaces. It needs a mature, film-covered layout rather than flake food, and it will starve in a brand new or over-clean tank.

The birdsong goby is peaceful and sociable, and it does best in a group of five or more. Leave males a little extra space to stake out grazing patches. Keep only tiny, calm tank mates that cannot out-compete it.

It has no meaningful record of aquarium breeding. As in other Stiphodon, the larvae wash out to sea to develop, and the young later climb back up the streams.

Good to know

Stiphodon surrufus belongs to the family Oxudercidae and was described by Watson and Kottelat in 1995 from Leyte. The name surrufus points to a faint reddish tint. Like other Stiphodon, it is a dedicated algae grazer with spatula-shaped teeth. It is also known as the surrufus dwarf goby.

In the wild

The birdsong goby comes from short, clear streams on Leyte in the Philippines. It lives among boulders in swift, oxygen-rich water close to the coast. The streams stay warm and run bright over stone coated in algae and diatoms, which the fish rasps for food.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The birdsong 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 a birdsong goby need?

A birdsong goby needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a birdsong goby need?

A birdsong goby is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a birdsong goby eat?

A birdsong goby scrapes biofilm, algae and diatoms from hard surfaces rather than eating flake food. It will starve in a brand new or over-clean tank.

How big does a birdsong goby get?

An adult birdsong goby reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

How does a birdsong goby breed?

The birdsong goby has no meaningful record of breeding in aquariums. Its larvae wash out to sea to develop, and the young later climb back up the streams.

Related species