Blackbelly Pygmy Goby

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Western Pacific, from the Ryukyu Islands to northern Australia and Fiji. Inhabits sheltered seaward reefs and sandy lagoons among small corals.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Family Gobiidae. Genus Eviota. One of the smallest marine fish in the world, with a maximum adult size not exceeding 2 cm.

Social Behavior: Calm, peaceful, and very shy. Lives in groups on the substrate, resting on rocks or corals, moving only in very short darts.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Semi-transparent body with a characteristic black or very dark coloration of the internal abdomen and orange or golden irises. Lacks external sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a pico or nano aquarium of at least 30 liters. Providing porous rocks and fine sand is essential to create microscopic shelters.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivore. Feeds on fine plancton. Offer live or frozen copepods, baby brine shrimp, rotifers, and finely crushed flakes.

Water Quality: Stable parameters: temperature 23-27°C, pH 8.0-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025. Regularly monitor to ensure zero ammonia.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Highly defenseless. Should only be housed with equally small and calm fish. Avoid large, territorial shrimp.

Aquarium Reproduction: Not documented in captivity due to the microscopic scale of the larvae and short natural life cycle.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation if kept in high-flow or competitive tanks. Jumping out of the aquarium is a real risk.