TankBud

Redlined pygmygoby

Trimma striatum

Also known as Upside Down Goby, Stripehead Goby, Stripehead Dwarfgoby, Red-Lined Pygmy Goby

SaltwaterFish

Redlined pygmygoby (Trimma striatum)
(c) jeyre, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Indo-West Pacific (Maldives to the Philippines)

Overview

The redlined pygmygoby is a tiny, peaceful goby for a reef tank with a rocky overhang. It is an easy fish to keep.

Did you know

Hobbyists call the redlined pygmygoby the upside down goby, because it habitually hangs belly-up beneath ledges and cave roofs. It spends much of its day oriented to the rock rather than the surface, treating the underside as its floor.

Caring for the redlined pygmygoby

The redlined pygmygoby needs a tank of at least 10 gal (38 L). Build at least one solid overhang into the aquascape, and it will use it exactly as it would at sea.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Captive-bred fish take small pellets readily, with Calanus and baby brine shrimp for variety.

The redlined pygmygoby is peaceful toward other fish and comfortable in small groups. Give a group enough ceiling space to go around. It is a little more reserved than some nano gobies, so quiet tank mates mean more time in view. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The redlined pygmygoby was described by Albert Herre in 1945. His specimen came from a little dock at Coron in the Philippines, and he coined a new genus, Coronogobius, just for it. When the species later moved into Trimma, the ending changed from striatus to striatum to match the genus, which is grammatically neuter. Its purple body, six red-orange head stripes and long second dorsal spine make it easy to recognize.

In the wild

The redlined pygmygoby shelters in caves, crevices and under ledges on protected reef slopes and in lagoons. It ranges from the Maldives to the Philippines and has been recorded from about 1 to 40 meters.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The redlined pygmygoby 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 redlined pygmygoby need?

A redlined pygmygoby needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a redlined pygmygoby need?

A redlined pygmygoby is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a redlined pygmygoby eat?

A captive-bred redlined pygmygoby takes small pellets readily. Calanus and baby brine shrimp give it some variety.

How big does a redlined pygmygoby get?

An adult redlined pygmygoby reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

Related species