TankBud

Catalina goby

Lythrypnus dalli

Also known as Blue-Banded Goby, Bluebanded Goby, Catalina Blue-Banded Goby

SaltwaterFish

Catalina goby (Lythrypnus dalli)
Donald Davesne · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
59–72°F
15–22°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Native to the temperate eastern Pacific from central California to the Gulf of California, on rocky reefs in cool, subtropical water.

Overview

The Catalina goby is a peaceful nano goby for a chilled saltwater tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The Catalina goby can change sex in both directions, depending on the makeup of its group. That is unusual even among gobies.

Caring for the Catalina goby

The Catalina goby can live in a tank of 11 gal (40 L) or larger. Most reef tanks run too warm for it. Keep it in a dedicated cool water tank rather than a tropical reef.

It needs cool water, at 59 to 72°F (15 to 22°C), which usually means a chiller. Hold the pH at 8.1 to 8.4. Warm water shortens its life sharply.

Feed small meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine and cyclops. It is peaceful and can be kept in a small group, given enough hiding spots. It is reef safe, though it may snap up very small invertebrates. Breeding it is moderately hard.

Good to know

Lythrypnus dalli is a goby in the family Gobiidae. It has a bright red to orange body, crossed by neon blue bars. Those blue bars are a form of structural color that shifts with the light. It is also known as the blue-banded goby.

In the wild

The Catalina goby lives in the eastern Pacific, from central California to the Gulf of California. It perches on rock and in crevices on cool temperate reefs, often near the shelter of sea urchins. It is not a tropical fish, and it comes from water in the low to mid 60s Fahrenheit.

Common questions

What size tank does a Catalina goby need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Catalina goby need?

A Catalina goby is comfortable at 59–72°F (15–22°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Catalina goby eat?

A Catalina goby eats small meaty foods, such as mysis, enriched brine and cyclops. It may also snap up very small invertebrates.

How big does a Catalina goby get?

An adult Catalina goby reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Related species