Yellowstripe mugilogobius

Mugilogobius chulae

Also known as Chulae goby, Yellowstripe goby

FreshwaterFish

Yellowstripe mugilogobius (Mugilogobius chulae) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Southeast Asian coastal waters
Family: Oxudercidae

Overview

This is a small, tough goby from coastal streams and estuaries, happy in fresh water but equally at home with a little salt added. It stays near the bottom, is mostly peaceful, and is a social fish, so keep a small group and give each one a cave or shell to defend as a home base; males will bicker mildly over territory but rarely do harm. Suitable tankmates are other small, calm fish that tolerate the same warm, hardish water. Feed small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, baby brine shrimp, and finely chopped items. A tank of around 40 liters is enough for a nano group.

In the wild

Mugilogobius chulae ranges through coastal fresh and brackish shallows across Southeast Asia, from stream mouths to estuarine ditches, so it handles a wide swing in conditions. Keep it at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius with a pH of 7.0 to 8.2 in hardish water; a little marine salt is optional and mimics part of its range. Furnish a sand floor with rock, shells, and caves for shelter and spawning sites.

Good to know

This goby of the family Oxudercidae stays tiny, at about 4 centimeters, and matures quickly and spawns readily. Those traits, plus its tolerance of pollutants, have made it a standard laboratory model for marine and estuarine toxicology, and its genome has been sequenced. In the tank it spawns willingly on hard surfaces inside a cave, with the male guarding the eggs, though it is not commonly raised for the hobby.

Did you know

Beyond the aquarium, this little goby has a day job in science. Its small size, fast breeding, and sensitivity to pollution have made it a go-to test animal for studying how chemicals affect coastal fish.

Tank mates

Yellowstripe mugilogobius is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.