Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
JULY 2008VOLUME 17 ISSUE 7
July 6th Speaker: David ReznickTopic: Lessons Learned from Trinidad’s Guppies
Dr. David Reznick studies evolution in nature. He will be showing the varied habitats of guppies in Trinidad, as well as photos of other wildlife. His talk will be mostly guppy travelogue, nicely seasoned with science—so if you have questions on guppies or how habitat and predation effect biological changes in fish, this is the meeting to come to. Dr. Reznick is an award-winning profes-sor of biology at UC Riverside, and he’s used to all kinds of questions. He en-joys helping people learn. Pursuing his research in evolution-ary biology, Dr. Reznick found that the ways in which Trinidad’s wild guppies survive the problem of being very tasty snacks provide insight on evolutionary biology. When it comes to demonstrat-ing Reznick’s evolutionary hypotheses, as a matter of fact, the little guppies of Trinidad are HUGE. Because of Dr. Reznick’s research, Trinidadian guppies have small starring roles in almost all major introductory biology texts and
are featured in articles in several major scientific journals.CO
AST is
a 501(c
)(7
) N
ot-
For-
Profit
Ass
oci
atio
nC
ALIF
OR
NIA
’S O
RG
AN
IZA
TIO
N
OF A
QU
ATIC
SH
OW
TR
OP
ICA
LS
htt
p:/
/ww
w.c
oas
tfish
club.c
om
c/
o C.
A.
Mar
eliu
s, S
how
fish
Editor
16229 A
rmst
ead S
tree
t G
ranad
a H
ills,
CA 9
1344-3
009
MEETIN
G J
ULY
6th
1:0
0 t
o 5
:00 p
.m.
Co
sta M
esa
Neig
hb
orh
oo
d C
om
mu
nit
y C
en
ter
Vic
tori
a R
oo
m
18
45
Park
Aven
ue
Co
sta M
esa
, C
A
Larg
est
Tro
pic
al Fis
h, P
lants
& A
ccess
ori
es
Auct
ion in C
alif
orn
ia. G
uest
s W
elc
om
ed.
ME
MB
ER
SH
IP A
PP
LIC
ATI
ON
....
......
......
......
.....
CO
AST
MEM
BER
SHIP
APP
LIC
ATI
ON
FO
RM
M
EM
BE
RS
HIP
RE
NE
WAL
.....
......
......
......
......
.....
Mai
l to:
Jim
Her
man
, CO
AS
T Tr
easu
rer
GU
ES
T R
egis
try /
AU
CTI
ON
Sig
n-In
.....
......
......
..13
17 B
radl
ey C
ourt,
Gle
ndor
a, C
A 9
1740
(Rec
eive
d by
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
D
ate
Rcv
d __
____
____
____
Pay
men
t $ _
____
____
____
Mem
ber N
o.
____
____
___
)
Yes!
I w
ant t
o be
a m
embe
r or g
uest
of C
OA
ST.
Enc
lose
d/at
tach
ed is
my
chec
k or
mon
ey o
rder
mad
e pa
yabl
e to
C
OA
ST in
the
amou
nt o
f $20
for a
one
yea
r mem
bers
hip
as a
n in
divi
dual
or f
amily
(with
in th
e sa
me
hous
ehol
d pl
ease
).
Sen
ior c
itize
n (a
ged
62 o
r ove
r) o
r jun
ior (
aged
20
or u
nder
) mem
bers
hips
are
$15
for o
ne y
ear.
Mem
bers
rece
ive
Sho
w-
fish
(ten
to tw
elve
issu
es a
yea
r), w
hich
con
tain
s in
form
atio
n of
inte
rest
to h
obby
ists
. M
eetin
gs h
ave
prog
ram
s sp
ecifi
c to
th
e ho
bby,
and
you
are
elig
ible
to p
artic
ipat
e in
our
mon
thly
auc
tions
and
raffl
es.
Why
wai
t any
long
er?
Nam
e __
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_ E
mai
l___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
Addr
ess_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Pho
ne__
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
City
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__St
ate
____
____
Zip
Cod
e __
____
____
____
____
____
____
Than
k yo
u fo
r you
r mem
bers
hip
and
regi
stra
tion.
Ple
ase
tell
us h
ow y
ou h
eard
abo
ut C
OA
ST:
Mem
ber
Mag
azin
e F
ish
Sto
re
Web
site
S
how
fish
Ref
erre
d by
___
____
____
____
____
____
___
W
hat f
ish
do k
eep
/ wan
t to
keep
? __
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Wha
t con
tact
info
rmat
ion
wou
ld y
ou li
ke to
list
in th
e M
embe
rshi
p R
oste
r? (
Mem
bers
hip
Ros
ters
are
CO
AST
prop
erty
an
d di
strib
uted
onl
y w
ithin
the
club
to e
ncou
rage
fello
wsh
ip a
mon
g m
embe
rs.)
Pub
lish
full
cont
act i
nfo
(def
ault)
D
o no
t pub
lish
stre
et a
ddre
ss
D
o no
t pub
lish
phon
e D
o no
t pub
lish
emai
l U
nles
s ot
herw
ise
spec
ified
, the
full
mem
bers
hip
listin
g of
mem
ber n
o., n
ame,
pho
ne n
umbe
r, ad
dres
s, c
ity, s
tate
and
zip
cod
e w
ill b
e lis
ted
in o
ur
mem
bers
hip
dire
ctor
y. P
leas
e be
sur
e to
not
ify u
s of
any
cha
nges
in y
our c
onta
ct in
form
atio
n, e
ither
by
emai
l or b
y us
ing
this
form
. Pl
ease
fill
it ou
t com
plet
ely
whe
n yo
u’re
rene
win
g, to
o. T
hat’
s ho
w w
e ke
ep th
e m
embe
rshi
p lis
t cor
rect
and
up
to d
ate.
ME
MB
ER
SH
IP A
PP
LIC
ATI
ON
....
......
......
......
.....
CO
AST
MEM
BER
SHIP
APP
LIC
ATI
ON
FO
RM
M
EM
BE
RS
HIP
RE
NE
WAL
.....
......
......
......
......
.....
Mai
l to:
Jim
Her
man
, CO
AS
T Tr
easu
rer
GU
ES
T R
egis
try /
AU
CTI
ON
Sig
n-In
.....
......
......
..13
17 B
radl
ey C
ourt,
Gle
ndor
a, C
A 9
1740
(Rec
eive
d by
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
D
ate
Rcv
d __
____
____
____
Pay
men
t $ _
____
____
____
Mem
ber N
o.
____
____
___
)
Yes!
I w
ant t
o be
a m
embe
r or g
uest
of C
OA
ST.
Enc
lose
d/at
tach
ed is
my
chec
k or
mon
ey o
rder
mad
e pa
yabl
e to
C
OA
ST in
the
amou
nt o
f $20
for a
one
yea
r mem
bers
hip
as a
n in
divi
dual
or f
amily
(with
in th
e sa
me
hous
ehol
d pl
ease
).
Sen
ior c
itize
n (a
ged
62 o
r ove
r) o
r jun
ior (
aged
20
or u
nder
) mem
bers
hips
are
$15
for o
ne y
ear.
Mem
bers
rece
ive
Sho
w-
fish
(ten
to tw
elve
issu
es a
yea
r), w
hich
con
tain
s in
form
atio
n of
inte
rest
to h
obby
ists
. M
eetin
gs h
ave
prog
ram
s sp
ecifi
c to
th
e ho
bby,
and
you
are
elig
ible
to p
artic
ipat
e in
our
mon
thly
auc
tions
and
raffl
es.
Why
wai
t any
long
er?
Nam
e __
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_ E
mai
l___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
Addr
ess_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Pho
ne__
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
City
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__St
ate
____
____
Zip
Cod
e __
____
____
____
____
____
____
Than
k yo
u fo
r you
r mem
bers
hip
and
regi
stra
tion.
Ple
ase
tell
us h
ow y
ou h
eard
abo
ut C
OA
ST:
Mem
ber
Mag
azin
e F
ish
Sto
re
Web
site
S
how
fish
Ref
erre
d by
___
____
____
____
____
____
___
W
hat f
ish
do k
eep
/ wan
t to
keep
? __
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Wha
t con
tact
info
rmat
ion
wou
ld y
ou li
ke to
list
in th
e M
embe
rshi
p R
oste
r? (
Mem
bers
hip
Ros
ters
are
CO
AST
prop
erty
an
d di
strib
uted
onl
y w
ithin
the
club
to e
ncou
rage
fello
wsh
ip a
mon
g m
embe
rs.)
Pub
lish
full
cont
act i
nfo
(def
ault)
D
o no
t pub
lish
stre
et a
ddre
ss
D
o no
t pub
lish
phon
e D
o no
t pub
lish
emai
l U
nles
s ot
herw
ise
spec
ified
, the
full
mem
bers
hip
listin
g of
mem
ber n
o., n
ame,
pho
ne n
umbe
r, ad
dres
s, c
ity, s
tate
and
zip
cod
e w
ill b
e lis
ted
in o
ur
mem
bers
hip
dire
ctor
y. P
leas
e be
sur
e to
not
ify u
s of
any
cha
nges
in y
our c
onta
ct in
form
atio
n, e
ither
by
emai
l or b
y us
ing
this
form
. Pl
ease
fill
it ou
t com
plet
ely
whe
n yo
u’re
rene
win
g, to
o. T
hat’
s ho
w w
e ke
ep th
e m
embe
rshi
p lis
t cor
rect
and
up
to d
ate.
Board of DirectorsArticle Hunter (Open) Auction Chair Ronald Nash [email protected] Auctioneer Duncan Mahoney [email protected] Director Richard Marelius 818-360-7102Editor Charlotte Marelius [email protected] Forum Moderator Kristian Downs 562-868-7145Membership Chair Jeff Long 714-847-3967 [email protected] Photographer William J. Scott 760-955-8133 [email protected] President; disc gp Brian Downing 858-759-4841 [email protected] Program Chair Charles Clifford 760-579-8208 [email protected] Publisher Mike Khalid 818-892-2456 [email protected] Vice President Kirk Bean 858-361-8745 Secretary, Corres. Nathan Okawa [email protected] Secretary, Record Larry Guillow [email protected] Treasurer Jim Herman 626-335-8327 [email protected] Web Admin; Food Tom Varin [email protected] Welcome Chair (Open)
SponsorsAquarium Systems
Casco (Sea Clear) http://www.casco-group.comDanner Mfg, Inc. http://www.dannermfg.com
Drs. Foster and Smith http://www.drsfostersmith.comHamilton Technology http://www.hamiltontechnology.com
HBH Pet Products http://www.hbh.netHikari http://www.hikariusa.com
Instant Ocean Jungle Laboratories
Marc Weiss Companies http://www.marcweissco.comMarine Enterprises Inc http://www.meisalt.com
Marineland Novalek, Inc. http://www.novalek.com
Oceanic Systems http://www.oceanicsystems.comOmega Sea Ltd http://www.omegasea.net
Perfecto ManufacturingPet Solutions http://www.petsolutions.com
San Francisco Bay Brand http://www.sfbb.comSeachem http://www.seachem.com
Tetra
The Showfish is the newsletter of California’s Organization of Aquatic Show Tropicals (COAST), a 501(c)(7) not for-profit association registered in California. It is published six to twelve times a year and is a benefit of membership in COAST. The information and opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and may not reflect those held by COAST or other COAST members.Showfish is printed and distributed at cost by Mike Khalid, 6607 Valjean Ave. Van Nuys, Ca., 91406. Reprint Policy: Articles and graphics which are marked with a © symbol or an-notated as Copyrighted or “property of …” may not be reprinted without the owner’s permission. Unmarked articles and graphics may be reprinted by other fish clubs; please send two copies of the newsletter containing the reprint to C. A. Marelius, 16229 Armstead St. Granada Hills, CA 91344 or email a copy to [email protected] Policy: COAST will exchange newsletters which contain information about fish and the fish hobby with other fish clubs. Please notify the Showfish Editor, C.A. Mare-lius, if your club would like to participate in an exchange program.
PROVIDING EDUCATION AND CAMARADERIE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN KEEPING TROPICAL AND TEM-
PERATE FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC LIFE
Time and place we meet:Time: the first Sunday of every month from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
MEETING AGENDUM: 12:30 Board Meeting1:00 General mtg, announcements1:30 Presentation begins2:45 Auction begins4:15-4:30 Auction check-out begins5:00-5:30 Vacate the room
Place we meet:We meet in the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center in the Victoria Room (usually) or the Harper Room. The Center is a brown brick building between a fire station and Lion’s Park. Closest major intersection is 19th and Harbor Blvd.Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center 1845 Park AvenueCosta Mesa, CA
Discussion Group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/coast-fishclub/ Website: http://www.coastfishclub.comNewsletter: The club’s newsletter, the Showfish, is published at least six times a year (usually 10 to 12) and mailed to arrive a day or two before the meeting. The current issue is published on our discussion group in the “Files” section around the 25th of the month, and previous months’ Showfish are published on our website.
Meeting dates for 2008All meetings will be in the Victoria Room unless otherwise noted.July 6 August 3 September 7 October 5 November 2 December 7
Species Profile–Brachygobius doriae(GÜNTHER, 1868) The Bumblebee GobyBy Charlotte MareliusPhotos © Peter Kreutzberger & Brit Scharfenberg unless noted. Their website is http://aquaristik.peterkreutzberger.com/. I have stuck labels on their beautiful photos, and I beg you to visit their website to see the photos unadultered. If you have a fairly good German-English dictionary, you’ll learn fish things while there.
All right, guys, I’m foregoing watching the French Grand Prix in order to write this article—maybe this commonly available, inexpen-sive little fish is actually an inter-esting fish, even if it can’t go “vr-roooomm”. Genus members: All ten of the
true gobies comprising the Brachygobius genus are called by the common names Bumblebee Goby, Bumble Bee Fish, Golden-Banded Goby, Goldringelgrundel, or Hummelgrundel. The only bumblebees likely to be found in fish stores, however, are Brachygobius doriae, Br. aggregatus, and Br. xanthozona. All of the Brachygobius species are shorter than 2” standard length when mature. All of them have yellow on at least their flanks and back, marked with black bars (or vice versa). Color intensity, differences in their bars, presence or absence of color in the fins, and the presence of spots instead of bars helps to identify one species from another. Informally, members of the genus are divided into the smaller-sized Brachygobius nunus-species group and the larger-sized Br. doriae-species group. The nunus-species group includes Br. nunus (Hamilton 1822), Br. aggregatus Herre 1940, and Br. mekongensis Larson and Vidthayanon 2000. The Br. doriae-species group
Membership News
Just Joined Daniel Woodland (honorarium)Sabrina Fullhart (honorarium)
ExpiredArt NorthLauro SeijoMarc and Barbara AllenKelly Hsueh and Wesley WongRon HarlanTom VarinCraig FriesBarry HellerNathan OkawaAlfred and Selma PaulRichard woonRyan d’cuz
Past DueRobin and Bill ArosteguiGrant, Jared, Owen BgrwaMarco FerrelJeff LongMichael MooreJohn PitcairnWilliam ScottRyan VasquezJohn MartinChris Stinnett
Due This MonthSteve DickensMike JhalidHarold LiebermanAlex SaundersNeil ZarskeCarlos BarrientosTony StrattonBarry Iallerstein
Due Next MonthSteve DickensMike KhalidHarold LiebermanAlex SaundersNeil ZarskeCarlos BarrientosTony StrattonTom de RosaBarry Wallerstein
PHONE 951-490-4894
includes Br. doriae (Günther 1868), Br. sabanus Inger 1958, and Br. xanthomelas Herre 1937.Others in the Brachygobius genus are Br. kabiliensis Inger 1958, Br. sua (Smith 1931), Br. xanthozona (Bleeker 1849) which formerly bore the genus name Hypo-gymnogobius, and Brachygobius spp.
Identifying the Brachygobius doriae: Of the available bumblebees, Br. doriae, shown in Figure 1, have the deepest, most solid blacks and the deepest, most intense yellows (sometimes even tinged with orange or, when spawning, with red). Each of their black bars goes completely around the belly, unlike those of the Br. aggregatus. The doriae’s bars extend half the way up into the dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins, giving the impression at times of completely black fins.
Figure 2 Brachygobius aggregatus(segment of an illustration in the book by Rainboth, W.J. 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purpos-es. FAO, Rome, 265 p.)
The aggregatus’ fins are clear—the bars do not go into the fins—and they have black freckles on the pale lower half of their operculum. The illustration shows the bars that start at the dorsal fins each have a short, partial bar in front of them which does not descend to or cross the belly.
The xanthazona’s bars extend into dorsal and anal fins, but end in a triangular shape, as shown in Figure 3. Its bars are not necessarily fully shaped and may not reach the back or the belly, as shown in the photo below.
(photographer, source unknown)Figure 3 Brachygobius xanthazona
Br. doriae are a bit tube-like in their shape, with a length to height ratio of about 4 to 1; their head takes up a fifth to a quarter of their body length. Females have a
deeper, plumper body and are not quite so densely colored; their heads are some-times a bit smaller and rounder than the male’s. Of the three species, the doriae has the shortest, roundest head and the aggregatus has the longest, most pointed head.All three species have a large mouth and no particular chin, so the mouth seems to be hinged at the bottom like a C-130’s aft cargo-bay door. It permits them to swallow food 30% their own size.Each of the three species has a hard ray at the leading edge of their anal fin. The Br. aggregatus has six, the doriae seven, and the xanthazona eight soft rays fol-
Figure 4 Operculum and chest colorationBr. doriae on the left, Br. xanthazona on the right.Left photo ©Kreutzberg&Scharfenberg, rt photo unknown.
From the nose to behind the eyes, the doriae’s head is a deep, velvety black;
some doriae seem to be trying to evolve a yellow bar on their nose, but the best they manage is a gray nose. The caudal edge of the operculum is also black; the black margin carries on down to cover the throat. The Br. aggregatus has black freckles on its pale operculum, whereas the Br. xanthazona has a broad pale throat that extends up onto the bottom edge of a yellow and black operculum. You wouldn’t think that telling these species apart would be all that difficult, but, judging by photos and comments, the little guys vary greatly from individual to indi-vidual, from youth to maturity, and from male to female. Experienced sources are also caught up in misidentification—some say the xanthazona is common, others say it is rare in the wild and almost never imported. Even ichthyologists can end up counting rays and scales on a preserved specimen to identify a bumblebee goby.
Habitat. Water parameters: 72-85° F, pH 7.5-8.5, degrees KH 9-19 (degrees carbonate plus hydrogen carbonate hardness) but the fish prefers a general hard-ness around 15 or 20 and is all right up to 30 dGH (255–340 ppm); specific gravity should be between 1.000
Note: American water companies report primarily hardness caused by calcium and magnesium ions, i.e., GH or general hardness, and measure it in parts per mil-lion. In fish literature, either type of hardness is often
How to join the COAST discussion group:First of all, you will need to establish a yahoo email account and/or profile. It’s very easy to do—just follow Yahoo’s instructions for getting an email account set up. You don’t ever have to use the account beyond the the purpose of getting into a group.Go to http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/coastfishclub/Click on the rectangular button on the right side of the monitor that says: Join This Group! or send an email to:[email protected] moderator of the group will establish access for you so you can participate in the group and will send you a welcome message to that effect.You can select whether you will read messages only online, get an email of each message that is posted to the group, or get one email containing all the messages for the day (digest).Please note that information used to set up an email account or subsequently es-tablish a profile is not all kept private--don’t put down information you want to keep confidential.
(freshwater) to 1.005. Aggregatus need 1.005 to 1.010 specific gravity, but I found no explicit info on xanthazona’s needs. Use artificial sea salt to create the brack-ish water. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons salt per 2-1/2 gallons of water to raise specific gravity to about 1.004. In spite of their reputation to the contrary, Br. doriae adapt fairly well to a wide range of water conditions and remain hardy, but they do need to have their opti-mum requirements met if you want them to breed. The middle of the above water parameters is probably best; extremes of temperature and pH will shorten their nominal five year lifespan. A soft, acid water is not good for them. To keep the bumblebee in good health, one of the most important things you can do is to observe its daily activity levels. Ascertain that it is getting its food and not being intimidated out of it or beaten to it. Its inability to catch its food when in a community tank is one big reason doriae are labelled as difficult to keep. They just need live food and time to catch it for them to prosper—that’s why a species tank is often recommend for them, rather than a community tank.
can be laid in safety. The common method is to lay the 150 to 200 large (for her) eggs on the substrate in the nest dug under a log, with the male following after and fertilizing the eggs. Replacing part of the existing aquarium water with cool freshwater replace can help induce spawning. The hypothesis is that the addition of cool water simulates a cool spring rainshower. There was no mention about whether or not the male chased the female away while he guarded the eggs, nor was there mention on how long it is safe to leave fry with their parents. After about 4 to 7 days of being well-guarded by the male, the eggs hatch out into larvae. They require very fine food once their egg sacs have been absorbed; in-fusoria, live rotifers or perhaps artificial plankton rotifer (APR) can be fed the first week. After a week of rotifers, the fry can swim a bit and can start eating small, newly-hatched brine shrimp. Once free swimming, the fry spend a lot of time in the lower third of the aquarium for a while, but they eventually settle onto the substrate and start acting like the adults.So, there you have it—an unusual, inexpensive little fish with pleasant tempera-ment outside of territorial issues (which can be managed by having several other doriae in the same tank). There is a lot we still have to learn about the bumble-bees, much of which can be gained by just watching them.
lowing the hard one. Like all Brachygobius, the doriae’s pelvic fins are fused into a disc-shaped suction cup, allowing it to secure itself to rocks, plants, or aquarium walls.
REFERENCES:o http://aquaristik.peterkreutzberger.com o http://brachygobius.totallyexplained.com/o http://aquariums.suite101.com/article.cfm/bumblebee_goby_care_and_breedingo http://www.aquariacentral.com/faqs/brackish/FAQ6.shtml o Baensch and Riehl. Baensch Atlas, volume 1o Monks, Neale, editor. Brackish-Water Fishes: an Aquarist’s Guide to Identification, Care & Husbandry. Naomi Delventhal author: Chapter 5, Gobies and Sleeperso http://www.webcityof.com/miff1017.htm Master Index of Freshwater Fisheso http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachygobiuso http://www.aquariumplants.com/Brackish_Water_Plants_s/22.htmo http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200201/msg00481.htmlo http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/waterchemistry.htm
Plants need to be able to tolerate hard, alkaline, warm water and the salt content of brackish water. Few plants can cope with all four of these water parameters simultaneously. Aquariumplants.com recommends the following plants for brack-ish water:Aponogeton crispusBacopa carolinaCrinum aquaticaCrinum calimistratumCrinum “Dwarf Onion Plant”, Zephyranthes candidaCrinum “Onion Plant”, Crinum thaianumCrinum natansGlossostigma elantinoides Java Moss, Vesicularia dubyanaNarrow Leaf Micro Sword, Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiaeTiger Lotus, Green or Red, Nymphaea zenkeri
Food. Just get over your convenience fetish right now—this fish will not eat flake or freeze-dried food, pellets or crumbles, or wafers or crisps; it will sel-dom even eat frozen food. Br. doriae REQUIRES LIVE FOOD or food that was living a second ago—it is quite fond of chopped earthworm, for example. Blood worms, daphnia, slow livebearer fry, and brine shrimp will all be accepted. Feed a variety of small live food to ensure the doriae gets a balanced diet. If you will be providing food for newly hatched bumblebee larvae, have infusoria and rotifers ready for them, as they can’t swallow brine shrimp until about a week after they’ve absorbed their egg sac. Depending on the path of the current in your aquarium relative to each doriae’s territory, you may have to put live food practically in front of the fish before he can get it. You want a new baster anyway, don’t you?
Breeding. The doriae is a pair-bonding egg layer. The male prepares a nest and tries to convince the female, whose ovipositor will be visible beginning a day
or two before she will lay eggs, that he has the best home on the block. I could find no record of whether or not the female helps with the nest or just stands back and watches. The male’s yellow stripes become somewhat orange, even red in a few individuals. His black stripes fade to gray and almost disappear. The nest can be the inside of a broken flower pot, a cave, a pit beneath a log or behind a stone—someplace private where eggs
If you see a doriae being restless, check the salinity level for too high a specific gravity. If you see it lying around listless and maybe even showing signs of illness, it may be suffering as a result of too little salt in the water. Trying to jump out of the tank is sometimes a sign of the pH being way out of line in either direction. The doriae are often found in freshwater habitats and seem to be drawn back to them periodically, but they need their brackish water habitat just as badly. No one offered a suggestion as to why the fish sought freshwater now and again; one source even stated the doriae is very sensitive to freshwater. (Apparently no one told the fish.)
Members of the Brachygobius genus are all native to areas of the Indochina sub-continent. They inhabit fresh to slightly brackish shallow rivers and estuaries. Br. doriae is native to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sumatra, Java, and Viet Nam. The aggregatus is found in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia; the xanthazona is found in Indonesia and Thailand.As you might suspect of a small, slow-moving, bottom dweller, Br. doriae likes to stay close to plants, rocks, driftwood, apple snail shells, or caves. As a carnivore who can’t chase fast food around the tank, Br. doriae is territorial, and it will not tolerate intrusion by conspecifics. However, it holds a very small territory (a dozen can co-habit a ten-gallon tank reasonably well). It will charge any bumblebee goby that crosses territorial boundaries, which can be marked by a rock or piece of wood or a plant leaf. The charge stops at the boundary, if the interloper leaves, after which peace resumes. I found no data on whether the Br. doriae fixates on things to define his territory and can therefore have his territory relocated by the aquarist, or fixates on the location (such as the back left corner of the tank) where its “markers” are actually coincidental as far as it is concerned and therefore it will not relocate, wherever its things are put. That’s one of those things we can still learn. Many goby species will excavate or find burrows to live in, so Br. doriae’s territorial preferences could be his cave or the pit under his log as easily as it could be the back left corner of the tank.As a bumblebee goby usually does not pursue intruders much beyond its territo-rial markers, one tactic to employ in diminishing territorial squabbles is to have unique and relatively tall boundary markers for each territory. Gobies are curious, perching fish once they become comfortable in their surroundings, so providing a marker that extends to the water surface will allow them to attach themselves to an object near the surface where they can have an occassional look around and snap up a fruit fly.
Plant data from Drs. Foster and Smith indicate Anubias coffeefolia and Anubias hastifolia (72-80° F, pH 5.5-9.0, KH 4-18) might be a good candidates for brackish water as well. Aquaria Central also recommends Java Fern Microsorium pteropus annd Giant Hygrophila Nomaphila stricta. When selecting plants, be sure to allow for an area of strong but not turbulent water flow with areas of “shadow” where the fish can relax—e.g., leeward of a rock. You will also need a particulate filter that won’t eat gobies.
stated as DH, Deutsche Haertegrade. One degree DH equals 17 ppm. The two pairs of “hardness” minerals exist together in linear proportion.)
