TankBud

Yellow hi-fin Towuti goby

Glossogobius flavipinnis

Also known as Flavipinnis goby

FreshwaterFish

Yellow hi-fin Towuti goby (Glossogobius flavipinnis)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Lake Towuti, Sulawesi

Overview

The yellow hi-fin Towuti goby is a predatory, territorial goby that lives on the bottom of the tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The yellow hi-fin Towuti goby is one of the top predators of Lake Towuti, an evolutionary island. The lake is home to endemic shrimp, snails, ricefish and gobies found nowhere else, and this goby lives off those small animals.

Caring for the yellow hi-fin Towuti goby

Give the yellow hi-fin Towuti goby 42 gal (160 L) or more, with an open floor of sand, scattered rock and a few caves. That layout gives it ambush stations and territory boundaries. Skip heavy planting, which is not part of its habitat.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Hold those values stable, and choose only tank mates that do well in the same water.

This carnivore sits on the sand and ambushes whatever passes. Feed it meaty foods such as earthworm pieces, prawn and large frozen items.

Keep it as a single fish, since it does not tolerate its own kind and will treat small tank mates as prey. Choose any companions with real caution, picking only fish too large to swallow and fast enough to stay clear. Never let it share a tank with the shrimp or small fish a Sulawesi biotope might otherwise feature. It has not been bred in the aquarium.

Good to know

The yellow hi-fin Towuti goby belongs to the family Oxudercidae. It is marked by a tall first dorsal fin with black rays and bright yellow membranes. Its original description gives a modest adult size, and the specimens examined were smaller still. That makes it a compact but genuine predator rather than a giant.

In the wild

The yellow hi-fin Towuti goby is endemic to Lake Towuti, part of the ancient Malili lake system on Sulawesi. It rests on hard, sandy bottoms in warm, clear, alkaline water.

Common questions

What size tank does a yellow hi-fin Towuti goby need?

A yellow hi-fin Towuti goby needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a yellow hi-fin Towuti goby need?

A yellow hi-fin Towuti goby is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a yellow hi-fin Towuti goby eat?

A yellow hi-fin Towuti goby is a carnivore that ambushes prey from the sand. It eats meaty foods such as earthworm pieces, prawn and large frozen items.

How big does a yellow hi-fin Towuti goby get?

An adult yellow hi-fin Towuti goby reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Related species