Blue gudgeon dartfish

Care at a glance

Overview

The blue gudgeon dartfish is a peaceful planktivore that hovers in the middle of a reef tank. It is an easy fish to keep.

Caring for the blue gudgeon dartfish

Give blue gudgeon dartfish a tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more. Add a few inches of sand for burrowing and live rock for shelter. Use moderate flow and subdued lighting, like the open, slightly deeper reef flats they come from. Fit a tight, secure lid, since dartfish jump when startled.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed small meaty foods such as brine shrimp, mysis and chopped krill, along with other prepared fare. Offer modest portions two to three times a day.

Blue gudgeon dartfish carry limited fat reserves. A slow start eating after introduction can become a real problem quickly, so make sure new fish begin feeding soon.

They are peaceful and reef safe, leaving corals and invertebrates alone. Never keep them with aggressive tank mates, which will intimidate them into hiding for good.

They are social but somewhat timid, and do best in a group of two to four added at the same time. The group stays close together as it hovers and forages. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The blue gudgeon dartfish belongs to the family Ptereleotridae. It has a blue-green iridescent body and a small dark spot near the base of the tail. The spot helps tell it apart from similar Ptereleotris species. Like other dartfish, it swims freely above its shelter rather than resting flat like a true goby. It is also sold as the blue gudgeon goby.

In the wild

The blue gudgeon dartfish lives on Indo-Pacific reefs and is commonly collected around Fiji. Small groups hover over sandy and rubble bottoms near reef edges. Each group shares a network of burrows and dives for cover at the first sign of danger.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Scissortail dartfish

  Ptereleotris evides

  5.5 in (14 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  5.5 in (14 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Blue hana goby

  Ptereleotris hanae

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)40 gal (150 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Zebra dartfish

  Ptereleotris zebra

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Blue chromis

  Chromis cyanea

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Milletseed butterflyfish

  Chaetodon miliaris

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)75 gal (285 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Scott's fairy wrasse

  Cirrhilabrus scottorum

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 90 gal (340 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)90 gal (340 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)