TankBud

Gecko goby

Belobranchus belobranchus

Also known as Throat-spine gudgeon

FreshwaterFish

Gecko goby (Belobranchus belobranchus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
7.5 in
19 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Eleotridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific coastal streams

Overview

The gecko goby is a large, predatory sleeper goby that sits still on the bottom. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The gecko goby's young return from the sea in huge numbers to its home streams, where they are netted as a delicacy. The catch is part of a traditional Indonesian fishery called nike, built on the annual run of juvenile gobies upriver.

Caring for the gecko goby

A tank of at least 53 gal (200 L) gives the gecko goby the floor space and structure it needs. Furnish it with boulders, wood and a sand or fine gravel bottom, plus caves and heavy cover it can wedge into and claim. Dim lighting and a steady, clean flow suit it.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Feed meaty foods such as earthworms, prawn, mussel and large frozen items. Do not expect it to chase flake in open water.

The gecko goby ambushes whatever swims within reach. It is aggressive as a hunter rather than a fin nipper. At close to 7.5 in (19 cm), it can swallow surprisingly large fish. Keep it singly, and only with tank mates too big to become a meal.

Like many of its relatives, the gecko goby is amphidromous in the wild. Adults spawn in fresh water, and the tiny larvae wash out to sea before returning upstream to grow. Aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Good to know

Belobranchus belobranchus is a sleeper goby in the family Eleotridae. It carries a rare kind of scientific name, a tautonym, in which the genus and species words are identical. It is also sold as the throat-spine gudgeon.

In the wild

The gecko goby lives in the lower, coastal reaches of island streams across the Indo-Pacific. Its range runs from Indonesia and the Philippines to New Guinea and southern Japan. It keeps to fresh and brackish water over rock and gravel.

Common questions

What size tank does a gecko goby need?

A gecko goby needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a gecko goby need?

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

What does a gecko goby eat?

A gecko goby eats meaty foods such as earthworms, prawn, mussel and large frozen items. It is unlikely to chase flake in open water.

How big does a gecko goby get?

An adult gecko goby reaches about 7.5 in (19 cm).

How does a gecko goby breed?

Gecko gobies are amphidromous, like many of their relatives. Adults spawn in fresh water, and the tiny larvae wash out to sea before returning upstream to grow. Breeding in aquariums is not recorded.

Related species