Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti) Breeding Log!

[mwp]

OK, so I lost my entire first post - won't let me post more than X amount of images or something, and when I got back...bye bye to everything I wrote. What a way to start off with a new species' log!

Here's the short - basic info on Rusty Gobies -> http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=3897

I added a mated pair of Rusty Gobies to my mandarin/seahorse tank on 8-29. Tonight, I had a spawn on the Mandarins, and while collecting their eggs, I noticed what looked like a fish larvae swimming around. It quickly dawned on me that this was a goby larvae, as they are the only fish that would produce a larvae like this in the tank!

My initial observations - the larvae are smaller that Greenbanded Goby larave and unlike GBG larvae, the RG's are NOT positively phototrophic which made collecting them a total pain! We can DEFINITELY say that the incubation time at 78F was 9 days or less, as I've only had them for 9 days!!!


I managed to collect 15-20; after photographing them with the QX5 they were added in with the 5 remaining GBG larvae that are hours away from being on day 14. GBGs are going to continue to be a priority for the time being - you can keep track of my maintenance etc on the GBG thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=844416

So, without delay, here are pics!

Rusty Goby Larvae at 10X

Greenbanded Goby Larvae at 10X for comparison

More pics very soon!

Matt

 

[mwp]

OK, more pics!

Rusty Goby Larvae (newly hatched) at 60X

Greenbanded Goby larvae, newly hatched, at 60X for comparison:

MP

 

[mwp]

And now for newly hatched Rusty Gobies at 200x!

And to think I haven't even had an opportunity to photograph the PARENTS yet!

MP

 

[aomont]

Man, these guys are small !!!
God bless SS rots... Hope they are small enough !

Anderson.

 

[mwp]

Yup, maybe 2mm at the most! Freakin' impossible to get out of the tank too as you can't "scoop" them - I had to go in like a ninja with a pipette and hunt them down!

Matt

 

[aomont]

Now you should chance your name to pipette master, Matt-san. Well done !
Anderson.

 

[mwp]

Well, 12 hours later I cannot find any of the baby rusty gobies in the larval tank - granted I didn't treat them very well, just "dumped 'em in".

Matt

 

[mwp]

Well, hatch #2 occured...I found the evidence at 1:04 AM this morning (9-18-6); while collecting mandarin eggs I noticed many dead larvae on the water's surface. I suspect the hatch occured late on the 17th, perhaps with the lights still on and the seahorses had a field day - I couldn't find ANY live larvae.

These are going to take some more observation to figure out!

Matt

 

[David Thomson]

MPW,
What are you using to get those scope pic's with the size ref's on them? That is VERY nice!

 

[mwp]

Well, it's a 2 step process. I'm using a QX5 to get the pictures which are exported as .jpg. Unfortunately, the scope software does NOT apply the scale; I had to take screenshots of the scope software which DOES include the scale, and then use photoshop to "reapply" the scale and then export the final image from Photoshop as .jpg.

Matt

 

[stewymaroon]

Congrats on the hatching even if only one survives. My yellow watchmen just laid eggs and I was wondering what specs you had for the breeding tank.

 

[mwp]

They're in a 24 gallon nano cube, sharing the tank with 2m/1f Hippocampus barbouri and my spawning pair of mandarins. It's maintained as a full-on reef tank, mostly caulerpa though but several corals and gorgonians, the usual assortment of snails + a couple harlequin serpent stars. Water parameters are always stellar in the breeding tank.

Matt

 

[mwp]

10-19-06, 12:31 AM - We have a Hatch! - I'm not really planning on doing anything with the few larvae I collected...they sure are TINY! The only reason I noticed them was that I was collecting Mandarin Eggs...seems like that's always how I've found them so far. I maybe collected 12..if anyone in Chicago would like to give raising them a shot, shoot me a PM on the 19th, assuming they make it through overnight

I think this particular species would be much better served by breeding in a small tank on it's own..maybe a 5 gallon with some PVC pipes and air-driven filtration. Otherwise, there's almost no way to ever know if they've spawned, let alone if there's been a hatch! With their non-positively phototropic larvae, collection is a royal pain...they swim fast. It takes the suction generated by a Turkey Baster to pull them out one at a time...this is one where a larval collector overnight may not work

FWIW,

Matt

 

[mwp]

So the larvae have been sitting in the specimen cup with mandarin eggs since last night, no food or anything. To my surprise, they are still alive for the most part. Considering that on all hatches I've noticed dead larvae floating at the surface long before I start finding the live ones, and considering their small size, I've assumed these are VERY delicate larvae.

Another possibility is that they're hatching out during the day...I don't have any active predators in the tank to "clue me in" when a hatch has started (i.e. with the Bangaii's munching on Greenbanded Goby larvae when they hatch out).

FWIW,

Matt

 

[mwp]

So it's about 2.5 months since the Rusty Gobies were first introduced, and only now are they starting to at least remain "visible" during the day. For the last month or so the more adventurous one in the pair has been hanging out under an overhang, darting out for food with regularity, and in the last week or so the other one has started being more "bold" as well.

So finally, 2.5 months later, I actually have pictures of the broodstock!

I still haven't figured out how/when they spawn, how long it takes for them to hatch, what the spawning frequency is etc, as I still have only just "happened upon" the hatches while collecting mandarin eggs. Rearing these at this time is beyond low priority, but maybe down the line. Doing these would definitely be better served by giving them private quarters that are spartanly decorated with some PVC tubes or something...i.e. allowing one to observe the spawn. I've read about a breeding/rearing net that has a transparent window on one side...that would actually be a workable arrangement IF I could ever hope to catch these two!

Matt

MP

 

[pszemol]

Very cute little fish - I like them so much - if I only had a room in my crowded tank for another fish...

Anyway - have you observed any sexual dimorphism ? I watched some pictures of yellow watchman gobbies spawning and female is not yellow at all - great sexual dimorphism. How this is for rusty gobies ? Are the male and female looking the same ?

Also, how did you get your mater pair ? Have you purchased them mated already or they mated in a larger group by themselves ?

Thanks!

 

[mwp]

I purchased the pair from SeaLifeFlorida.com (well, actually Old.Diver on ebay..one in the same). Having only this one pair, I'd be hard pressed to say there's any dimorphism (or hermaphrodism) in this particular species....my pair pretty much looks identical, one being slightly lighter in coloration. They're still very secretive too, which limits how much I can observe.

Matt

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

matt its so crazy! everything breeds in your tank! im speechless!!!!!!!! lol

amazing!

matt do you have pics inside the goby larvae? lol

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

man how do you get everything to breed in your tank even if you dont intend for them to they still breed ! congrats on the spawn

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

Matt,

the entire Genus Priolepis does not show any sexual dimorphism. With my P. nocturna I can see clearly who is the female as the eggs shine trough rather transparent belly:

I also have the same yellow goby as you, but I am not sure if they really are P.hipoliti as there are a few similar species. Mine too spwan regularly and the place the eggs just on the glase pane. Probably as they are in a tnak which has only Cheatomorpha Algae. The goby pair sneaked into this tank.

I recently also found the first nest form Trimma tevegae. Same as for the Genus Priolepis and Eviota the male is guarding the nest and cleaning the eggs. I must have found the nest on the day of the hatching. Because as I cleand the front pane to make picture of the nest on the next day, all where gone.