Buan's Sleeper Goby

Amblygobius buanensis

Also known as Buan Goby, Buan's Sleeper Sand Goby, Buan Nano Sand Goby, Buan Silt Goby

SaltwaterFish

Buan's Sleeper Goby (Amblygobius buanensis) — Biota · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe with caution
Origin: Western Pacific, Philippines
Family: Gobiidae

Overview

Buan's gobies are peaceful with other fish but can be scrappy with their own kind, so keep one or an established pair. They are reef safe apart from the light sand showers any sifter produces, and they do not strictly need sand, since captive-bred fish feed from the water column and graze films off rock.

In the wild

Comes from shallow sandy and silty bottoms in the Philippines, where it hovers low over the substrate and takes mouthfuls of sand to sift for food. It keeps a bolt hole nearby and favors lagoon flats and reef edges over open reef.

Good to know

Amblygobius buanensis was described by Albert Herre in 1927 and takes its name from its Philippine type locality. At roughly 8 cm it is one of the smallest sleeper gobies, and juveniles wear fine black lines that pick up a reddish iridescence as the fish matures.

Did you know

The species was captive-bred for the first time in 2022 at Biota, so every one in the hobby is tank raised. Keepers report these fish picking at nuisance cyanobacteria films as they work the bottom.