Goby Lifespan Survey

[Paul B]

Jacob, she is smarter than we are.

It is not too hot here yet. It's been about 83 lately which is perfect to be in the water. I bought a new boat last week so we have been spending a lot of time in the water which is about 70 degrees. Here is my friend and me taking it on it's maiden voyage from the dock where I bought it on the south shore of Long Island on the 40 mile journey to the north shore to my marina. We lost a fanbelt under the Verrazino Bridge. Not a place you want to get stuck, (think Golden Gate Bridge) but I managed to replace the belt as my friend drove on the other engine.
I miss that coffee shop around the corner from where you guys have your meetings.
Take care.
Paul

 

[Jacob D]

Hey, congrats on the new boat! Looks like a very nice cruiser you got there. I thought you were going to tell me that you turned your buddy's socks into a makeshift belt or something like that

 

[Paul B]

No I didn't have to do that, but I would have if I had to.

The belt just got frayed and jumped off. It was probably dry rotted being the boat was shrink wrapped for 3 years. I just cut off the frayed parts and got us home.
I ordered a new belt on the way and it was at the marina when we got there.

 

[CubeNoob]

I know this is an old thread and the paper has probably been written by now but I'll throw my oldest goby in here but I have 3 others that are over 5 years old now as well. Yellow Watchman Goby. Purchased August 2002 and still alive today. Over 7 years old now.

 

[Masoch]

Yellow clown goby: purchased January 2005. Started going downhill about a month ago, nowhere to be found yesterday. The fish was (or close to being) an adult at time of purchase, so the fish was at least 5 years old.

Just to add some more info about lifespan.

 

[borjam]

Just for the record:

Gobiodon histrio: 30 months, alive and well
Nemateleotris decora: 18 months, alive and well
Nemateleotris decora (introduced with the previous one): 8 months and disappeared, seemed to be doing fine
Cryptocentrus cinctus: 7 months, alive and well
2x Nemateleotris magnifica: 6 months, died because of a temperature raise in Summer

 

[Birdee]

Country: USA
Species: Cryptocentrus cinctus (yellow watchman)
Age: Almost 7yrs... since late 2004
Status: Alive and quite well. =)

 

[Paul B]

I am thinking this breeding pair about 8 or 10 years old but I forget when I got them as babies. They are still breeding.

 

[rlpardue]

Two-year bump. This thread was great, I love gobies. I had a pair of Tiger Wardi gobies (Valenciennea wardii) for a year; the female jumped through an incredibly small gap last week and I found her dead but still wet. Crushing - everyone loved watching this pair of gobies because they were very tactile and seemed to need to touch each other everywhere they went. They would roam the tank munching sand and the male would always flip up his false eye and take position over the female if they were ever scared. Now the male is alone.

I just picked up what I *think* is a male/female pair of Ctenogobiops tangaroai. It's always a little risky taking a goby from one tank and matching it with a goby from another...hopefully it'll work this time.

 

[orangegoby]

I am thinking this breeding pair about 8 or 10 years old but I forget when I got them as babies. They are still breeding.

Paul, do u ever see the babies?

 

[Paul B]

Paul, do u ever see the babies?

No but in a 100 gallon tank with 25 fish, I don't think I will see any babies. But here she is with one of her batches of eggs

 

[orangegoby]

oh my! very impressive.

 

[rlpardue]

Wow Paul, that is a great shot! How on earth did you get that picture? Usually my gobies' dens are out of sight.

 

[Paul B]

Wow Paul, that is a great shot! How on earth did you get that picture? Usually my gobies' dens are out of sight.

It was out of sight that's why the picture is so bad. I accidently saw her and the eggs in the back of the tank which is against a wall. I had to do that with a mirror and camera as I can't get back there.

 

[rlpardue]

I would say that's a pretty darn good shot, considering...lol

 

[SDguy]

I've had my Priolepis nocturna since late '06.

 

[Paul B]

SDguy, that is a very cool fish

 

[rlpardue]

+1 on the coolness of the ancient white tiger goby. How big is it now?

 

[NanoLurker]

posting just because....

green clown goby (Gobiodon histrio) purchased in 2003, still going strong in his 6 gallon, bow front tank. i had no idea he would live this long and i will miss the little fella when he's gone.

 

[ThRoewer]

No but in a 100 gallon tank with 25 fish, I don't think I will see any babies. But here she is with one of her batches of eggs

I would bet "she" is actually the "he" - with fish the females lay the eggs and then let the males take care of them.

Even with those who care together for the eggs like clownfish the male is doing between 70 and 90% of the work.
Many of my clownfish females would mostly just check if their guy was working hard enough and give him a puff if the care level was deemed substandard. I actually had a clarkii male that quite literally worked himself to death by fanning the nests - sometimes the female laid another batch before the previous hatched so the poor guy didn't get a rest or even enough time off to eat. At the same time the female would gulp down large feeder shrimp that were actually meant for my marine bettas.

Here a picture of the poor skinny guy hard at work:

BTW: has anybody ever seen the paper this survey was intended for? I would love to see the final results.

I think that with proper care many fish can live many times longer than in the wild.
Freshwater fish anyway since many are seasonal in the wild (it's hard to live long if the water hole or creek you live in dries out every summer and only the eggs for the next generation survive until the next rain season)