Sharptail goby

Oligolepis acutipennis

Also known as Acutipennis goby

FreshwaterFish

Sharptail goby (Oligolepis acutipennis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Indo-Pacific estuaries and lower rivers
Family: Oxudercidae

Overview

This is a large, slender estuary goby that likes an open sand floor and is relaxed about salt, doing well in fresh or lightly brackish water. It is mostly peaceful and social, but it is a predator toward anything small enough to swallow, so keep it with fish too big to be food and give it room. It stays on the bottom, sifting and hunting over sand, and it takes meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, small pieces of seafood, and sinking foods. Provide a soft sand bed and cover such as wood or rock it can retreat under. Because it grows large and stays active, give it at least 110 liters with a long open floor.

In the wild

In the wild it works muddy estuaries, coastal bays, lagoons, and the lower reaches of rivers across the Indo-Pacific, from South Africa east to Indonesia and the western Pacific, over soft sand and mud. Recreate that with a fine sand substrate, gentle flow, and some wood or rock for shelter. It tolerates fresh and brackish water; keep it warm at 24 to 28 C and neutral to alkaline, roughly pH 7.0 to 8.2.

Good to know

Oligolepis acutipennis is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Valenciennes in 1837. It is a slender goby that reaches around 12 to 15 centimeters, with a caudal fin drawn out to a fine point. The genus name Oligolepis means few scales, while acutipennis means sharp-finned, from the pointed tail. Adults are predators, taking small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. It is amphidromous, with no established aquarium breeding record.

Did you know

Its tail tapers to a sharp point like the nib of a quill, and the name says so: acutipennis means sharp-feather, using the old sense of feather for fin. The genus name adds few scales on top.