Eretmodus cyanostictus is among the group of cichlids called gobies. Gobies only occur naturally in the surge habitat of Lake Tanganjika, which is the upper meter of the water at the shoreline. They unique in that their swim bladder is non-functional, meaning that when they’re not swimming, they drop to the bottom like a rock. E. cyanostictus is an algae-scraping cichlid that has a uniquely interesting spawning behavior – it’s a bi-parental mouthbrooder. Gobies are best kept as pairs. It’s possible to keep more than one pair in the same tank, but realize they can be quite pugnacious to one another. A single pair can be kept in a tank as small as 40 gallons, but two pairs should be housed in a tank no smaller than 75 gallons. Gobies in general can be quite nasty to each other, but once pairs form, “the fight is over.” Males and females will form a pair-bond that lasts for life. The food of choice for E. cyanostictus is a good Spirulina flake. Mysis and Cyclops make good supplementary foods. Suitable tankmates include other algae-eating tanganyikans, such as Tropheus and Simnochromis species.
(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Tanganjika See |
