Yellow hi-fin Towuti goby

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a predatory, territorial goby from a single Sulawesi lake, and it is best kept as a single fish, since it does not tolerate its own kind and will treat small tankmates as prey. If you want companions, choose them with real caution: only fish too large to swallow and fast enough to stay clear, all sharing its hard, alkaline water. It sits on the sand and ambushes what passes, so it should never share a tank with the shrimp or small fish a Sulawesi biotope might otherwise feature. Feed meaty foods such as earthworm pieces, prawn, and large frozen items. Give it a tank of around 160 liters with open sand and rock cover.

In the wild

Glossogobius flavipinnis is endemic to Lake Towuti, part of the ancient Malili lake system on Sulawesi, where it rests on hard, sandy bottoms in warm, clear, alkaline water. Match that with 24 to 28 degrees Celsius and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5, kept stable. An open floor of sand with scattered rock and a few caves gives it the ambush stations and territory boundaries it wants; heavy planting is not part of this habitat.

Good to know

This is a goby in the family Oxudercidae and a Lake Towuti endemic, marked by a tall first dorsal fin with black rays and bright yellow membranes. It is a carnivore that sits high on the food chain of its lake. The original description records a modest adult size of roughly 8 centimeters, with examined specimens smaller still, so it is a compact but genuine predator rather than a giant. It has not been bred in the aquarium.

Did you know

Lake Towuti is an evolutionary island, home to endemic shrimp, snails, ricefish, and gobies found nowhere else. This fish is one of that lake's top predators, living off the small endemic animals that share its water.

Common questions

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