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Golden spot goby

Stiphodon rutilaureus

Also known as Rutilaureus neon goby

FreshwaterFish

Golden spot goby (Stiphodon rutilaureus)
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
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
New Guinea and Solomon streams

Overview

The golden spot goby is a gilded algae-grazing river goby, a peaceful bottom dweller for a mature stream tank. Only experienced keepers should try it.

Did you know

The golden spot goby's name piles up the shine. Rutilaureus joins rutilus, a glowing reddish gold, with aureus, plain gold, as if one Latin word were not enough for the male's coloring.

Caring for the golden spot goby

The golden spot goby needs a tank matured enough to grow algae, at least 14 gal (54 L) for a small group. Rounded, film-covered cobbles in a shallow, stony layout suit it, with strong light to feed the algae film. Give it steady flow and high oxygen.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8, and change it often. It passes the day scraping film from stone, and flake food alone will not sustain it. Add algae wafers and the odd frozen cyclops.

It likes company and is peaceful. Males glow in warm gold along the flanks, and they need a little room to hold grazing patches. Keep only small, calm tank mates that cannot out-compete it.

It is amphidromous, and its larvae drift to sea before the young return upstream to mature. There is no practical record of it being bred in the aquarium.

Good to know

Stiphodon rutilaureus is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Watson in 1996. It is sometimes called the golden-red stiphodon, and it is also known as the rutilaureus neon goby. It has the spatula-shaped teeth of a dedicated algae grazer, as all Stiphodon do.

In the wild

The golden spot goby holds clear, current-swept island streams from New Guinea to the Solomon Islands. It grazes stone in warm, bright, oxygen-rich water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The golden spot 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 golden spot goby need?

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

What temperature and pH does a golden spot goby need?

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

What does a golden spot goby eat?

A golden spot goby spends the day scraping film from stone, and flake food alone will not sustain it. Add algae wafers and the odd frozen cyclops.

How big does a golden spot goby get?

An adult golden spot goby reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

How can you tell a male golden spot goby from a female?

Males glow in warm gold along their flanks.

How does a golden spot goby breed?

The golden spot goby is amphidromous, and its larvae drift to sea before the young return upstream to mature. There is no practical record of it being bred in aquariums.

Related species