TankBud

Chinese red ninja goby

Rhinogobius shennongensis

Also known as Ctenogobius shennongensis, Shennong goby

FreshwaterFish

Chinese red ninja goby (Rhinogobius shennongensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
61–73°F
16–23°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Shennongjia streams, Hubei, China

Overview

The Chinese red ninja goby is a peaceful, temperate stream goby for a cool, unheated tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The Chinese red ninja goby's home, the Shennongjia massif, is the heart of China's wild man legend. The Yeren is a Bigfoot-like creature said to roam these forests. The goby lives in the same cold watershed that feeds the folklore.

Caring for the Chinese red ninja goby

Keep a small group of Chinese red ninja gobies in at least 14 gal (54 L), with good flow and high oxygen. Build a river-style tank with a powerhead and a bed of rounded stones, pebbles and gravel, with caves and crevices. Territorial males each claim a rock, then darken and raise their fins in display.

It needs an unheated tank, steady current and genuinely cool water to hold condition, well below tropical temperatures. Hold it at 61 to 73°F (16 to 23°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0, and change the water often to keep it clean.

It lives on the bottom and feeds as a small predator on small invertebrates. Offer frozen and live foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, alongside small sinking foods.

The Chinese red ninja goby is peaceful and gregarious, and it does best in a small group. Keep only calm, cool-tolerant tank mates. Breeding males deepen to a dark, charcoal body with colored margins along the fins. There is no established record of it being bred in the aquarium.

Good to know

Rhinogobius shennongensis belongs to the family Oxudercidae. It was first placed in the genus Ctenogobius before moving to Rhinogobius. It takes its name from its home mountains, the Shennongjia range, and it is also known as the Shennong goby.

In the wild

The Chinese red ninja goby holds clear mountain streams of the Shennongjia massif in Hubei, China, in the upper Han River drainage. The water there is cold, fast and rich in oxygen.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Chinese red ninja 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 Chinese red ninja goby need?

A Chinese red ninja goby needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Chinese red ninja goby need?

A Chinese red ninja goby is comfortable at 61–73°F (16–23°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a Chinese red ninja goby eat?

A Chinese red ninja goby is a small predator of small invertebrates. Offer frozen and live foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, with small sinking foods alongside.

How big does a Chinese red ninja goby get?

An adult Chinese red ninja goby reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a Chinese red ninja goby breed?

Males in breeding condition deepen to a dark, charcoal body with colored margins along the fins. The Chinese red ninja goby has no established record of being bred in aquariums.

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