TankBud

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby

Eviota lachdeberei

Also known as Cosmic Nano Goby, Cosmic Goby, Lachdebere's Pygmy Goby, Redlight Eviota Goby

SaltwaterFish

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby (Eviota lachdeberei)
Biota · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
0.8 in
2.1 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Western Pacific (Indonesia to Micronesia)

Overview

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby is a tiny, peaceful goby that lives among the rocks of a small reef tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby gets its trade name, Cosmic Nano Goby, from its pattern. Its dark body is dusted with white spots, with two deep red blotches at the tail base. The pattern reads like a small scene of stars and nebulae.

Caring for the Lachdebere's dwarfgoby

Give Lachdebere's dwarfgoby calm water and small holes it can claim. A pico or nano reef of 5 gal (19 L) or more suits it well, and it is reef safe. Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.

Feed small pellets, Calanus and baby brine shrimp a couple of times a day. It spends the day darting between holds and checking the rock for food.

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby is gentle even by dwarfgoby standards. It is one of the few fish that mixes easily with other nano goby species. Keep it singly or in a small group, and skip any tank mate large enough to swallow it. It is moderately hard to breed.

Good to know

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby was described by Louis Giltay in 1933 from the Banda Islands, in the same paper as Eviota nigriventris. The name honors Philip Lach de Bere, a Dutch colonial officer born in Sumatra. Biota added it to the captive-bred list in 2022.

In the wild

Lachdebere's dwarfgoby lives in the western Pacific, from Indonesia to Micronesia. It favors sheltered and often silty reefs from about 3 to 20 meters. It is a regular lodger in Heliofungia plate corals, resting among the long tentacles. A Philippine survey of 118 Heliofungia coral polyps found it and its relative Eviota rubriceps among the most common fishes sheltering inside.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Lachdebere's dwarfgoby 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 Lachdebere's dwarfgoby need?

A Lachdebere's dwarfgoby needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Lachdebere's dwarfgoby need?

A Lachdebere's dwarfgoby is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Lachdebere's dwarfgoby eat?

A Lachdebere's dwarfgoby eats small pellets, Calanus and baby brine shrimp, fed a couple of times a day. It also checks the rock for food as it darts between holds.

How big does a Lachdebere's dwarfgoby get?

An adult Lachdebere's dwarfgoby reaches about 0.8 in (2.1 cm).

Related species