Skilletfish

Gobiesox strumosus

Also known as Oyster Clingfish, Skilletfish Clingfish

SaltwaterFish

Skilletfish (Gobiesox strumosus) — Niclan7 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (76 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe with caution
Origin: Western Atlantic, New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico
Family: Gobiesocidae

Overview

A hardy, peaceful oddball that suits an oyster reef or hard-bottom biotope tank and takes mysis, brine shrimp and small pellets without fuss. It is safe with corals, though bristleworms, amphipods and shrimp small enough to swallow count as food.

In the wild

An oyster reef specialist of the western Atlantic, found from around New Jersey through the Gulf of Mexico, often in water less than a meter deep. It wedges under shells, rocks and pilings, gripping tight while tides and waves sweep past.

Good to know

The frying pan outline gives the fish its name, and its pelvic fins are fused into a broad suction disc that clamps onto shell, rock or aquarium glass. It is a clingfish in the family Gobiesocidae, not a goby, despite the similar look.

Did you know

Skilletfish spawn inside empty oyster shells, where a few hundred amber eggs are glued to the shell and guarded until hatching, one of many reasons a healthy oyster bed is full of life.