Teardrop goby

Sicyopus multisquamatus

Also known as Multisquamatus goby

FreshwaterFish

Teardrop goby (Sicyopus multisquamatus) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Sundaland streams
Family: Oxudercidae

Overview

The teardrop goby is a small, current-loving stream fish that needs clean, cool, oxygen-rich water more than anything else. It spends its time on the bottom, perching on rock and darting between stones, and it is peaceful with other fish though rival males will squabble over the best perches, so give it space and broken lines of sight. Keep it with other calm, flow-tolerant species rather than slow warmwater community fish. It is a micro-predator that largely ignores algae, so feed small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, cyclops, and baby brine shrimp. A tank of around 54 liters with strong flow suits a small group.

In the wild

Sicyopus multisquamatus lives in fast, clear forest streams on Indonesian islands, the kind of tumbling, rocky water that stays cool and highly oxygenated. Keep it at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius with a pH from 6.5 to 7.8, strong current, and a floor of smooth cobbles and pebbles. An internal pump or river-style return, a tight-fitting lid, and plenty of surface movement matter far more than plants, which are scarce in its shaded home streams.

Good to know

This is a goby in the family Oxudercidae, subfamily Sicydiinae, reaching around 5.5 centimeters. Like its relatives it is amphidromous: adults live and breed in fresh water, the hatched larvae wash down to the sea to develop, and the tiny juveniles then climb back upstream. To manage that climb it uses fused pelvic fins that form a suction cup, letting it grip wet rock against the current. Home breeding has not been recorded.

Did you know

Its common name comes from a dark, teardrop-shaped mark below each eye. Behind that sad face sit bright blue eyes and two orange bands, colours the fish uses to signal to rivals and mates in its clear stream home.