Encyclopaedia
Marsh Hover Goby
Parioglossus palustris
A peaceful and schooling brackish water micro-goby, native to mangrove swamps and coastal marshes.
- Family
- Gobiidae
- Origin
- Pacifico occidentale: isole Ryukyu, Filippine, Palau e Papua Nuova Guinea.
- Origin
- Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and MadagascarSouth and Southeast AsiaEast AsiaAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
Share
22 °C - 26 °C
7.5 - 8.2
Brackish / Marine
Midwater
4 cm
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Western Tropical Pacific: Ryukyu Islands to Palau, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Found in brackish mangrove channels and coastal swamps.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the Gobiidae family. Elongated body with clear fins. Reaches a maximum length of 4.0 cm.
Social Behavior: Peaceful and highly gregarious. Shoals actively in the midwater column, facing the light current.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Translucent body with silvery reflections and a dark longitudinal stripe. Spawning males display broader, more colorful fins.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Best housed in brackish setups of at least 50 liters. Keep salinity stable (SG 1.005-1.010). Provide mangrove wood and shelter. Secure lid required.
Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds on zooplankton. Accepts frozen copepods, brine shrimp, and fine dry granules. Feed twice daily.
Water Quality: Maintain stable parameters: temperature 22-26 °C, pH 7.5-8.2, salinity controlled. Clean water is essential.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Peaceful. Must be kept in groups of 6 or more. Suitable tankmates include bumblebee gobies and pipefish.
Aquarium Breeding: Spawns in small caves. The male guards the nest. Raising pelagic larvae is challenging.
Risks and Diseases: Known to jump. Vulnerable to sudden changes in salinity and temperature.
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Pacifico
- Diet
- Carnivoro
- Tank level
- Midwater
- Minimum group
- 6
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank volume
- 50 L
- GH
- n/a
- KH
- 6 dKH - 15 dKH
- TDS
- n/a
- Conductivity
- n/a
- Sex ratio
- Gruppo
- Feeding frequency
- 2 volte al giorno
- Bioload
- Low
- Flow
- Moderato
- Jump risk
- Covered tank required
- Reproduction
- Depone in cavità protette. Il maschio si occupa delle cure parentali fino alla schiusa.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Estremamente pacifico. Richiede la vita in banco per non rimanere nascosto.
Ecological Estimates & Biological Models
- Trophic level
- 3.1 ± 0.4 se
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.00389, b = 3.12
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Other recommended species with similar care requirements and water parameters.





