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Critter goby

Lentipes crittersius

Also known as Crittersius goby

FreshwaterFish

Critter goby (Lentipes crittersius)
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
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Biak Island, western New Guinea, Indonesia

Overview

The critter goby is a small, fast climbing goby, an active bottom dweller for a high-energy stream tank. It suits experienced keepers.

Did you know

The critter goby's species name is a piece of affection rather than science. Crittersius turns critters into Latin. Critters was the everyday nickname the late goby specialist Raymond Birdsong liked to use for the little fish he studied.

Caring for the critter goby

Keep a small group of critter gobies in at least 14 gal (54 L), with strong flow and high oxygen. Lay out cobbles, smooth boulders and gravel under bright light, so algae and film can grow on the rockwork.

Keep the water very clean, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. It grazes biofilm and hunts tiny invertebrates close to the floor. Drift small frozen and live foods such as cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm into the flow.

The critter goby is peaceful and sociable. Leave displaying males a little room, so disputes stay to posturing. Pair it only with calm, current-loving tank mates that will not clear the food first.

Like others in its genus, it is amphidromous, with larvae that develop in the sea. There is no established aquarium breeding record.

Good to know

Lentipes crittersius is a sicydiine goby in the family Oxudercidae, also known as the crittersius goby. It was described by Watson and Allen in 1999 from Irian Jaya, in western New Guinea.

In the wild

The critter goby lives in fast, clear, high-gradient streams on Biak Island, in Indonesia's Papua region. The island lies off the north coast of western New Guinea. There the goby clings to rock in tumbling, oxygen-rich water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The critter 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 critter goby need?

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

What temperature and pH does a critter goby need?

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

What does a critter goby eat?

A critter goby grazes biofilm and hunts tiny invertebrates. Feed it small frozen and live foods such as cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm, drifted into the flow.

How big does a critter goby get?

An adult critter goby reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How does a critter goby breed?

Like others in its genus, the critter goby is amphidromous, and its larvae develop in the sea. There is no established record of it breeding in aquariums.

Related species