Most
gobies live in the sea. And most gobies stay small, usually less than
10 cm. So Oxyeleotris marmorata, the Marbled Sleepergoby, is an
exception in more than only one respect. The species is a giant among
the gobies and becomes more than 50 cm long. And usually it lives in
pure freshwater; only occasionally it is found in brackish water.
Oxyeleotris
marmorata is a predator. A short look in the open mouth of the fish
says more than thousand words. The species can swallow fish that have
about have of the length of the goby itself. However, when kept in an
aquarium this creature becomes very tame and can be easily fed via a
forceps. Juveniles also feed on earthworms and frozen fish food.
The
Marbled Sleepergoby is a calm fish that will not swim if it is not
necessary. So the species does not need – compared with the size of the
fish – very large aquaria. 200 litres per animal are quite acceptable.
However, they are kept best alone, only one fish per tank, because they
can be pretty pugnacious against conspecifics.
Oxyeleotris
is a cave spawner that produces tens of thousands of eggs. The eggs are
really tiny. There are no reports of a successful breeding in
captivity, but most probably it has never been tried at all. The species
has a very wide distribution in South-East Asia and is very common
wherever it appears.
We have obtained juveniles recently, so fans of predatory fish have now the chance to risk an attempt.
For our customers: the fish have code 440972 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
