TankBud

Blackbelly dwarfgoby

Eviota atriventris

Also known as Black Belly Nano Goby, Neon Eviota, Blackbelly Dwarf Goby

SaltwaterFish

Blackbelly dwarfgoby (Eviota atriventris)
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
0.8 in
2 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Western Pacific (Indonesia to southern Japan and Queensland)

Overview

The blackbelly dwarfgoby is a tiny, peaceful perching goby for a nano or pico reef. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Biota raises the blackbelly dwarfgoby in Palau, the same island group where the first scientific specimens were collected in 2012. Captive-bred fish now ship from the doorstep of the reefs that made it official.

Caring for the blackbelly dwarfgoby

The blackbelly dwarfgoby holds a small home range rather than roaming. Even a pico tank of 5 gal (19 L), with rockwork and a few dim ledges, covers its needs. Keep the flow gentle, because a fish under two centimeters gets shoved around by strong pumps.

The water should sit at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Captive-bred stock accepts small pellets, Calanus and baby brine shrimp. Several small feedings a day suit it better than one big one.

It is peaceful and reef safe, and it hops between perches and darts out to grab passing food. Keep it singly or in a small group, with small, calm tank mates that will not treat it as food. Breeding it is moderately hard.

Good to know

Greenfield and Suzuki described the blackbelly dwarfgoby in 2012 from Palau, after years of it being lumped in with the similar Eviota nigriventris. The scientific name atriventris joins the Latin words for black and belly, for the dark patch on its abdomen. The genus runs on a famously fast clock. One relative, Eviota sigillata, holds the record for the shortest known vertebrate lifespan, at 59 days. It is also known as the black belly nano goby.

In the wild

In the wild, the blackbelly dwarfgoby perches on hard bottom in shaded spots near branching coral. It usually lives between 3 and 20 meters down on western Pacific reefs, from Indonesia to southern Japan and Queensland.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The blackbelly dwarfgoby 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 blackbelly dwarfgoby need?

A blackbelly dwarfgoby needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a blackbelly dwarfgoby need?

A blackbelly dwarfgoby is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a blackbelly dwarfgoby eat?

A captive-bred blackbelly dwarfgoby accepts small pellets, Calanus and baby brine shrimp. Several small feedings a day suit it better than one big one.

How big does a blackbelly dwarfgoby get?

An adult blackbelly dwarfgoby reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).

Related species