Ethelwynn's goby cichlid

Gobiocichla ethelwynnae

Also known as Cross River goby cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (112 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Cross River rapids, Cameroon
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a small, slender rapids specialist that scoots from stone to stone along the bottom like a goby wearing a cichlid's badge, and it does best kept as a small group. It stays low, hugging the rock in fast water. It is mostly peaceful but will bicker over the best perches, so choose companions with some care: other current-loving fish that keep to open water, and nothing large or aggressive. Feed small sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and cyclops, and make sure the flow does not sweep it all away before the fish get their share. A group needs a tank of at least 112 liters set up as a fast-flowing river with plenty of rock.

In the wild

Gobiocichla ethelwynnae is found only in the rapids of the Cross River in Cameroon, clinging to rock in fast, oxygen-rich, turbulent water. Recreate the current with strong flow from a pump or two, a floor and walls of smooth stone and cobbles, and no delicate plants. Keep the water soft to neutral, around 23 to 27 C at a pH from 6.5 to 7.5, and very well oxygenated, which is exactly what this rheophilic fish needs.

Good to know

This eel-slim, goby-like rheophile belongs to the family Cichlidae and reaches only about 7 centimeters. It was described in 1982 and named for the British ichthyologist Ethelwynn Trewavas, a leading authority on African cichlids. Like other rock-dwelling river cichlids it spawns in a crevice and guards its eggs, so breeding is a moderate project given enough flow and hiding places.

Did you know

Ethelwynn Trewavas was still hard at work on African cichlids in her eighties when this little rapids fish was named in her honor; she studied them almost to the end of a very long life.