Sixspot Sleeper Goby

Care at a glance

Overview

Peaceful and reef safe, this goby spends its day working through the sand and rarely interacts with fish outside its own kind. It needs a mature sand bed to find enough food on its own and benefits from supplemental feedings of mysis, brine shrimp, or other small meaty foods, especially in newer systems. Pair it with calm tankmates that will not compete for food near the substrate.

In the wild

Lives in bays and lagoons from about 3 to 25 meters deep, on silt or sand bottoms with rocks to burrow beneath. Set up a thick bed of fine sand across a well-established tank so it has room to sift and a steady supply of the tiny invertebrates it feeds on. It jumps, so plan on a tight-fitting lid.

Good to know

The common name comes from a set of pale blue spots below the eyes and across the cheeks, which stand out against the otherwise plain, pale grey-white body. It grows to around 14 cm and, like other Valenciennea, pairs up with a single mate and shares a burrow rather than living in groups. It is rarely aggressive toward other fish but will fight with other members of its own species unless properly paired.

Did you know

Look closely at the face and you will find the six small, iridescent blue dots that give this goby its name, easy to miss from a distance but a clear identifying mark up close.

Related species

• 

  Diamond Sleeper Goby

  Valenciennea puellaris

  5.9 in (15 cm)55 gal (208 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Golden Head Sleeper Goby

  Valenciennea strigata

  5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Dragon Sleeper Goby

  Amblygobius phalaena

  5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Orange-Spot Prawn Goby

  Amblyeleotris guttata

  4.3 in (11 cm)30 gal (114 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Pinkbar Goby

  Amblyeleotris aurora

  4.3 in (11 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Pink-Spotted Watchman Goby

  Cryptocentrus leptocephalus

  3.9 in (10 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)