Lumbantobing goby

Pseudogobiopsis lumbantobing

Also known as Sumatra dwarf goby

FreshwaterFish

Lumbantobing goby (Pseudogobiopsis lumbantobing) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Sumatran lowland streams
Family: Oxudercidae

Overview

This is a quiet little lowland goby well suited to a small, gently flowing tank. It is mostly peaceful and social, though males are mildly territorial, so keep a small group with leaf litter, wood, and stones that split the floor into little territories. It stays near the bottom and takes small meaty foods, so offer frozen and live items such as cyclops, baby brine, and finely chopped bloodworm alongside small sinking foods. Give it calm, small companions that will not steal its share. A 40 liter tank with soft, gently tea-stained water and plenty of cover suits a group.

In the wild

In the wild it lives in gentle lowland streams and rivers on Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, over sand, gravel, and rock, often among algae and aquatic plants at very low elevations. Recreate that with a soft substrate, wood and leaf litter, some stones, and gentle flow. Keep the water warm at 24 to 28 C and on the soft, slightly acidic side, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, tinting it lightly with wood or leaves if you like.

Good to know

Pseudogobiopsis lumbantobing is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described in 2017 by Larson, Hadiaty, and Hubert. It is small, reaching about 4 centimeters, and it lives over sand and gravel in lowland streams. It honors the ichthyologist Daniel Lumbantobing, whose specimens finally settled the identity of an orange-spotted goby that had puzzled keepers. There is no established record of it being bred in the aquarium.

Did you know

This goby reached European fish tanks before it had a scientific name, traded simply as an unidentified orange-spotted goby, until 2017, when it was described and named after the ichthyologist Daniel Lumbantobing.

Tank mates

Lumbantobing goby is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.