Catalina Gobies
- Thread starter ThRoewer
- Start date
ThRoewer
New member
AC had another 2 from Mexico this weekend and after the first 2 turned out to be a success so far I decided to take those as well.
So now I have a group of four: 1 male and 3 females, one of those (the first) rather on the tiny side. All must be from this spawning season, so at the most 3 months old.
They are for now in a half full 2 gallon tank, but I plan to upgrade them to a 5 gallon after the QT period (in a bigger tank they may just get lost). The current tank has no pump as it could induce heat. The 5 gallon will get a small HOB filter which shouldn't induce significant heat.
Decoration will be Real Reef Rock (gonna see if I find a nice piece or cement some pieces together) as it is closer to their natural habitat than coral reef live rock. As bottom substrate I plan to use some live sand and a few pieces of larger gravel.
I also plan on some inverts from their native region, Margarita snails, one or two dwarf hermits and whatever else I can find.
So far I managed to keep their tank temperature mostly below 22 °C (72 °F) by hanging in gel-ice packs during the day. Though a day at 24 °C didn't cause any issues with the first two either.
At night the temperature usually drops below 20 °C (68 °C).
Let's see if I can get them to spawn and manage to raise the larva.
So now I have a group of four: 1 male and 3 females, one of those (the first) rather on the tiny side. All must be from this spawning season, so at the most 3 months old.
They are for now in a half full 2 gallon tank, but I plan to upgrade them to a 5 gallon after the QT period (in a bigger tank they may just get lost). The current tank has no pump as it could induce heat. The 5 gallon will get a small HOB filter which shouldn't induce significant heat.
Decoration will be Real Reef Rock (gonna see if I find a nice piece or cement some pieces together) as it is closer to their natural habitat than coral reef live rock. As bottom substrate I plan to use some live sand and a few pieces of larger gravel.
I also plan on some inverts from their native region, Margarita snails, one or two dwarf hermits and whatever else I can find.
So far I managed to keep their tank temperature mostly below 22 °C (72 °F) by hanging in gel-ice packs during the day. Though a day at 24 °C didn't cause any issues with the first two either.
At night the temperature usually drops below 20 °C (68 °C).
Let's see if I can get them to spawn and manage to raise the larva.
ThRoewer
New member
Here an interesting article on their reproduction:
Reproduction, larviculture and early development of the Bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, an emerging model organism for studies in evolutionary developmental biology and sexual plasticity (full PDF article)
Abstract
The Bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, is a popular ornamental aquarium species and a key organism for the study of several fundamental biological questions, most notably reversible sex change in adults. To maximize the tractability of this species as an emerging model system, it is essential to have an optimized propagation system and a detailed developmental staging scheme. One limitation to the larviculture of L. dalli is the relatively small size of the larvae, which makes the transition from yolk to feeding challenging. We developed a protocol and successfully reared three generations of L. dalli in the laboratory. The protocol contains several key innovations for the rearing of diminutive fish larvae, including tank design and co-culturing of microalgae (Isochrysis galbana) with copepods (Parvocalanus sp.) in the larval rearing tanks. In addition, we describe the embryonic and larval development of L. dalli under controlled conditions and in comparison with the model organism Danio rerio. We found that at 21°C L. dalli larvae hatch in 4 days, reach flexion in 18"“25 days and are sexually mature by 3 months. Overall, the embryonic development of L. dalli is remarkably similar to D. rerio with several striking differences, including the position and shape of the blastomere, size of the neuromasts and corresponding cupula, and relative timing of pigmentation and brain subdivision. The ability to rear this species in captivity is a valuable tool that could be utilized for a variety of similarly diminutive species and to address a greater breadth and depth of biological questions.
Keywords:
larviculture, co-culture, Lythrypnus dalli, acanthomorph development, fused pelvic fins
Reproduction, larviculture and early development of the Bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, an emerging model organism for studies in evolutionary developmental biology and sexual plasticity (full PDF article)
Abstract
The Bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, is a popular ornamental aquarium species and a key organism for the study of several fundamental biological questions, most notably reversible sex change in adults. To maximize the tractability of this species as an emerging model system, it is essential to have an optimized propagation system and a detailed developmental staging scheme. One limitation to the larviculture of L. dalli is the relatively small size of the larvae, which makes the transition from yolk to feeding challenging. We developed a protocol and successfully reared three generations of L. dalli in the laboratory. The protocol contains several key innovations for the rearing of diminutive fish larvae, including tank design and co-culturing of microalgae (Isochrysis galbana) with copepods (Parvocalanus sp.) in the larval rearing tanks. In addition, we describe the embryonic and larval development of L. dalli under controlled conditions and in comparison with the model organism Danio rerio. We found that at 21°C L. dalli larvae hatch in 4 days, reach flexion in 18"“25 days and are sexually mature by 3 months. Overall, the embryonic development of L. dalli is remarkably similar to D. rerio with several striking differences, including the position and shape of the blastomere, size of the neuromasts and corresponding cupula, and relative timing of pigmentation and brain subdivision. The ability to rear this species in captivity is a valuable tool that could be utilized for a variety of similarly diminutive species and to address a greater breadth and depth of biological questions.
Keywords:
larviculture, co-culture, Lythrypnus dalli, acanthomorph development, fused pelvic fins
davocean
Active member
I've seen them diving many times, and they are cool, but I do agree they generally do live in and require cooler temps to thrive.
Keep in mind most of that coastline, even Mex often is colder than you would think until you go very far south, and it does not take much depth for temps to decrease a pretty fair amount.
Most people have difficulty keeping them long term in our typical reef tanks/temps.
Keep in mind most of that coastline, even Mex often is colder than you would think until you go very far south, and it does not take much depth for temps to decrease a pretty fair amount.
Most people have difficulty keeping them long term in our typical reef tanks/temps.
ThRoewer
New member
I plan to keep them by themselves and no warmer than 70 °F.
I will definitely also try to breed them.
One thing I'm wondering about is if they are all the same from California to Peru. The ones I have right now have more and much narrower blue bands than the other I had before.
I could imagine that there are at least a few local varieties if not subspecies.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
I will definitely also try to breed them.
One thing I'm wondering about is if they are all the same from California to Peru. The ones I have right now have more and much narrower blue bands than the other I had before.
I could imagine that there are at least a few local varieties if not subspecies.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
CoralsAddiction
Active member
I've never owned one but fish stores always push these. Their main reason is that because some of them are captive bred they are suited for average mixed reef aquarium life. That argument never really made sense to me so I avoided them. There are plenty of other nice gobies out there that can happily live in mid 70s and low 80s. I really like my Yasha which I wish had a mate.
ThRoewer
New member
I have a pair of Yasha with a pair of candy cane pistol shrimp and a pair of Janssi pipefish in the IM Nuovo Abyss now. Still need to fix the rockwork and kill off the aptasia that came in with the macro algae.
I had a single Catalina goby as a very beginner in the late 70s. Of course it didn't live long in the "reef" tank I had back then, but it left a lasting impression. (I should have put it into my Mediterranean blenny tank or with the North Sea Pipefish and Gobies I had back then.)
Catalina gobies are for many reasons not ideal for a community reef tank - that they like it cooler is just one, equally important is that they are fish that live on rocky slopes and not coral reefs.
But they are perfectly fine in a subtropical biotope tank (maybe mixed with one of the other East Pacific Lythrypnus gobies or even with BSJs).
As for the statement that they are tank bred - I don't think there is a significant number of these bred for the aquarium trade at this point. What is bred is usually bred for lab experiments (see the article I linked in a previous post).
I had a single Catalina goby as a very beginner in the late 70s. Of course it didn't live long in the "reef" tank I had back then, but it left a lasting impression. (I should have put it into my Mediterranean blenny tank or with the North Sea Pipefish and Gobies I had back then.)
Catalina gobies are for many reasons not ideal for a community reef tank - that they like it cooler is just one, equally important is that they are fish that live on rocky slopes and not coral reefs.
But they are perfectly fine in a subtropical biotope tank (maybe mixed with one of the other East Pacific Lythrypnus gobies or even with BSJs).
As for the statement that they are tank bred - I don't think there is a significant number of these bred for the aquarium trade at this point. What is bred is usually bred for lab experiments (see the article I linked in a previous post).
ThRoewer
New member
The last 4 are doing fine for a month now, mostly at room temperature, currently between 20 °C (68 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F).
At first I planned on giving them their own pico tank, but now I'm considering to add them to my East Pacific tank with the BSJ and barnacle blennies.
At first I planned on giving them their own pico tank, but now I'm considering to add them to my East Pacific tank with the BSJ and barnacle blennies.
Similar threads
