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
Origin: Indo-West Pacific (Maldives to the Philippines)
Family: Gobiidae

Overview

It is peaceful toward other fish and comfortable in small groups when the tank offers enough ceiling space to go around. Captive-bred fish take small pellets readily, with Calanus and baby brine shrimp for variety. It runs a little more reserved than some nano gobies, so quiet tankmates mean more time in view.

In the wild

It shelters in caves, crevices, and under ledges on protected reef slopes and in lagoons, recorded from about 1 to 40 meters. Much of its day is spent oriented to the rock rather than the surface, often resting inverted against a cave roof. Build at least one solid overhang into the aquascape and it will use it exactly as it would at sea.

Good to know

Albert Herre described it in 1945 from a specimen taken at a little dock at Coron in the Philippines, coining 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. The purple body, six red-orange head stripes, and long second dorsal spine make it easy to recognize.

Did you know

Hobbyists call it the Upside Down Goby because it habitually hangs belly-up beneath ledges and cave roofs, treating the underside of the rock as its floor.