TankBud

Cebu orange tail goby

Sicyopus cebuensis

Also known as Cebuensis goby

FreshwaterFish

Cebu orange tail goby (Sicyopus cebuensis)
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
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Cebu streams, Philippines

Overview

The Cebu orange tail goby is a small, predatory stream goby for a fast, clean tank. Only experienced keepers should take it on.

Did you know

The Cebu orange tail goby is one of the rarest fish on Cebu, known from only a handful of specimens. It is feared close to extinction. It has even been discussed for inclusion on the country's list of extinct species after its home streams were degraded.

Caring for the Cebu orange tail goby

Keep a small group of Cebu orange tail gobies in at least 14 gal (54 L), with strong flow, high oxygen and clean water. Use a powerhead for the current, with rounded stones, cobbles and boulders for perching and cover. Keep the tank tightly covered, since these gobies can climb.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8, and change it regularly. It looks like an algae grazer, but feed it as a micro-predator instead of expecting it to live on biofilm. Offer frozen and live foods such as cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm, drifted into the flow where it can catch them.

It is a peaceful, social fish that stays on the bottom in the current. Give males space to hold a stone, since they display at one another. Keep only calm, small tank mates that will not out-compete it.

Males carry an orange to tangerine tail. The Cebu orange tail goby is amphidromous, with marine larvae, and there is no record of it breeding in captivity.

Good to know

Sicyopus cebuensis belongs to the family Oxudercidae and was described by Chen and Shao in 1998 from the Naga River basin on Cebu. The orange tail of the males gives the fish its common name. Unlike the grazing Stiphodon gobies, Sicyopus species are small carnivores that hunt tiny invertebrates.

In the wild

The Cebu orange tail goby lives in short, clear mountain streams on the island of Cebu, in the Philippines. Its water is fast, cool-leaning and oxygen-rich, running over rock and boulder.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Cebu orange tail 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 Cebu orange tail goby need?

A Cebu orange tail goby needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Cebu orange tail goby need?

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

What does a Cebu orange tail goby eat?

A Cebu orange tail goby is a micro-predator, not a biofilm grazer. It eats frozen and live foods such as cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm.

How big does a Cebu orange tail goby get?

An adult Cebu orange tail goby reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

How can you tell a male Cebu orange tail goby from a female?

Males carry an orange to tangerine tail.

How does a Cebu orange tail goby breed?

The Cebu orange tail goby is amphidromous, and its larvae live in the sea. There is no record of it breeding in captivity.

Related species