Micro bumblebee goby

Brachygobius nunus

Also known as Brachygobius nanus, Golden banded goby, Micro bumble bee goby

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Micro bumblebee goby (Brachygobius nunus) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 5 gal (20 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lowland and estuary fringes from India to Indochina
Family: Gobiidae

Overview

This tiny black-and-gold goby is a social little fish, so keep a small group of six or more in a nano tank where you can watch them closely. They perch on the bottom among roots, stones, and plants, each defending a small patch, so give them plenty of hiding spots and broken-up sightlines. They are peaceful but fussy eaters that hunt by movement, so feed small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and bloodworm rather than relying on flake. Keep them with small, calm, short-finned tankmates or on their own. A 20 liter tank suits a group.

In the wild

The micro bumblebee goby lives in lowland streams and estuary fringes from India across to Indochina, where fresh water meets a touch of the tide. It does well in hard, alkaline fresh water or lightly brackish conditions, so a little marine salt is optional rather than required. Give it a mature tank with roots, rocks, and caves over sand, kept at 23 to 28 C and a pH of 7.0 to 8.2.

Good to know

Brachygobius nunus is one of the smallest bumblebee gobies in Gobiidae, reaching only about 2.5 centimeters. Breeding is hard: a pair spawns in a cave, the male guards the eggs, and the newly hatched fry are so small they need infusoria and other tiny live foods before they can take brine shrimp. Their size and diet make raising a brood a real challenge.

Did you know

The name is a running source of confusion in the trade, where this fish is often sold as Brachygobius nanus. Hamilton described it as nunus back in 1822, and two centuries later shop labels still tend to swap the vowel.