Striped Goby Cichlid

Remarks: The striped goby cichlid is the type species for the genus Eretmodus who are commonly referred to as goby cichlids. While these fish may be small, they have huge personalities and display some amazing colors. Juvenile and stressed striped goby cichlids tend to be gray or light tan while settled adults have a much darker coloration sporting a gray or dark brown base with yellow or tan vertical stripes. Both juveniles and adults display the most striking coloration seen on these fish, iridescent electric blue spots on the face and down the back. These spots are reminiscent of juvenile Tropheus duboisi but unlike the Tropheus, these spots are present for the entirety of the striped goby cichlid's life. 

  Goby cichlids are found in shallow, rocky habitats in the surge zone of Lake Tanganyika with striped goby cichlids being found on the southern end of the lake. Here, the currents are strong and the dissolved oxygen levels are high. These highly adapted little fish have evolved in a way that their swim bladders have been rendered non-functional as to reduce buoyancy. This lack of buoyancy allows goby cichlids to better fight the surge currents by sticking closer to the bottom and hiding in rocky crevices. Their long but short dorsal fins and laterally compressed bodies further aid in this. The rocks that goby cichlids swim amongst tend to be covered in algae which the fish feed on as their primary source of food. Their down-turned mouths are another adaptation for their environment as it allows them to graze on this algae while remaining oriented to keep a look out for predators. Their morphology, which also includes eyes positioned at the top of the head that can move independently, is similar to fish referred to as gobies despite goby cichlids being cichlids with no close relation to gobies. Situations like this arise from a process known as convergent evolution which consists of unrelated organisms evolving similar features or behaviors independently. These similarities have given rise to their common name of goby cichlids.

  Due to their natural habitat being in a surge zone, goby cichlids are used to high oxygen levels and will not tolerate poor aeration in the aquarium. They also require a very high pH, hard water, and low nitrates. To ensure their needs are attended to, those keeping goby cichlids should perform frequent water changes, use heavy filtration, and provide heavy aeration which can be achieved with bubblers and wavemakers. Using a wavemaker to create heavy current will be appreciated by the goby cichlid as this mimics their natural habitat, encouraging more of their natural behaviors. With them not being very forgiving in these regards, goby cichlids are known to not be the easiest Tanganyikan cichlids to keep and are better suited for experienced keepers. Algae should be allowed to grow within the aquarium for the fish to graze on in-between feedings. Being herbivores, a diet high in vegetable matter and algae is recommended. Spirulina flakes, sinking tablets, and fresh vegetables are all good choices. Meatier foods such as mysis shrimp can very rarely be offered as a treat as feeding too much protein will cause digestive issues such as bloat. Many suspect sand plays a vital role in their digestion so it is recommended to use soft sand as a substrate.

  While goby cichlids are small, they are rather fierce and territorial. Other fish that do not dwell in the same areas of the tank as them and do not look like them tend to be left alone, but they can be very feisty toward conspecifics and members of their own kind. This is why goby cichlids are best kept as a single fish or in mated pairs. If kept like this, they can be kept in smaller tanks (20+gallons), but those looking to have a colony will need to house them in a much larger space (50+gallons). With these personalities and their herbivorous diet, goby cichlids can be a great tankmate for Tropheus. Shell dwellers and sardine cichlids are also great choices to house alongside goby cichlids.

  If one is not looking to keep goby cichlids in a community setting and instead is looking to breed them, it is good to know they are a challenging project. Goby cichlids don’t breed very readily in captivity with little being known about how to trigger them to spawn. This difficulty also comes from the fact that goby cichlids can be very picky about pairing up. Just because you have a male and a female does not mean they will accept each other. This is why it is best to either get a pre-established pair or get a group of juveniles and let them pair up naturally. Once a pair has formed, they will stay together for life. There are few differences between males and females except for the fact males tend to grow larger. Goby cichlids pick a clean, flat surface, usually a rock, to spawn on. They are bi-parental mouthbrooders so the female will pick up and hold the eggs in her mouth after spawning until they hatch. She then transfers them to the male’s mouth for him to hold for a few weeks until the fry are able to fend for themselves. Goby cichlids prove to be great parents by never predating upon their own fry and protecting their brood fiercely against would be predators. Their co-operative parenting style is unique among fish and very fascinating to watch in captivity.