[Ebook] 500 freshwater aquarium fish – Miscellaneous Fish – Striped Sleeper Goby (Dormitator maculatus)

The Striped Sleeper Goby is a sturdy species that, despite its hardy appearance, is unable to adapt fully to pure freshwater conditions. It is, however, a good candidate for brackish water setups housing similar-sized tankmates. This is not a species for beginners.

Other common names

• Fat Sleeper Goby, Spotted Goby

Family

• Eleotridae (subfamily Eleotridinae — sensu Hoese and Gill)

Subfamily

• Eleotrinae or Eleotridinae (sensu Nelson)

Distribution

• Atlantic coast of tropical South America.

Size

• Up to 10in (25cm) reported but usually smaller.

Behavior

• Territorial predator that tends to dig.

Diet

• Livefoods, including fish; invertebrate livefoods also taken as well as (more reluctantly) deep-frozen and freeze-dried preparations.

Aquarium

• Spacious, with large, adequately spaced out shelters, e.g. caves, and a relatively fine-grained substratum. Salt-tolerant plants must be suitably protected against digging activities. Well-filtered, alkaline, hardish water, with about 2 teaspoonfuls of aquarium salt added to every 1 Imp. gal (1 1/ U.S.gal/4.5 I). Preferred Temperature range: 72-77°F (22-25°C).

Breeding

• Challenging in aquaria. Eggs are laid on a pre-cleaned sice, e.g. stone. Hatching takes about 1 day.