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Red lip goby

Sicyopus exallisquamulus

Also known as Exallisquamulus goby

FreshwaterFish

Red lip goby (Sicyopus exallisquamulus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Halmahera, Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Overview

The red lip goby is a small carnivorous goby for a fast, well-oxygenated stream tank. It is not a fish for beginners.

Did you know

The red lip goby's jaw-cracking scientific name has nothing to do with the red lips that name it in English. Exallisquamulus means something close to odd little scales, so the Latin describes the scaling while the common name watches the mouth.

Caring for the red lip goby

Keep a pair or a small group of red lip gobies in at least 14 gal (54 L). Give them a fast tank with strong current from a powerhead, high oxygen and very clean water. Rounded boulders and cobbles give perches and cover, and a tight lid keeps them in, since these gobies climb.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 7.8, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. The red lip goby stays low in the current and feeds as a micro-predator. Offer small meaty foods such as frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm, rather than relying on algae.

It is peaceful and social, and a settled pair will hold a riffle tank calmly. Give males room to claim a stone and display. Keep only calm tank mates that will not out-compete it. It is amphidromous, and there is no record of aquarium breeding.

Good to know

Sicyopus exallisquamulus is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Watson and Kottelat in 2006 from Halmahera. It is one of the larger members of its genus, with lips brushed red. Like other Sicyopus, it is a carnivore that hunts tiny invertebrates rather than grazing algae.

In the wild

In the wild, the red lip goby lives in swift, clear, high-gradient streams on Halmahera, in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It clings to rock and boulder in warm, oxygen-rich, tumbling water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red lip 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 red lip goby need?

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

What temperature and pH does a red lip goby need?

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

What does a red lip goby eat?

A red lip goby feeds as a micro-predator on small meaty foods such as frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp and finely chopped bloodworm. Do not rely on algae to feed it.

How big does a red lip goby get?

An adult red lip goby reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a red lip goby breed?

The red lip goby is amphidromous, and there is no record of it breeding in an aquarium.

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