sleeper gobies

[Mr.Firemouth]

So while I was out today I stopped at(dread saying this but needed hamster food for daughter) PETCO.

I looked at their salt selection and actually saw some nice fish.
My sand bed has been clumping and had a slight bit of patchy algae here and there. I decided if I saw any sand sifting gobies I would pick it up.
What I found in a small cubicle was 2 mated gobies. They are inseperable.
They do everything together.
Now if only they stay out of my drain pipes. :P

Here is the picks...
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k44/mrfiremouth/macros/goby3.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k44/mrfiremouth/macros/goby2.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k44/mrfiremouth/macros/goby.jpg

[OldManOfTheSea]

Nice of you to have shared this with everyone, I as well am putting together a fish list :dance2: They are beautiful :)

[Fishieness]

are they actualy mated or jsut paired?!
i had an orange spotted diamond goby in my fowlr, andnow i have a pink spotted watachman. i wanted to put him in my reef, but i have too many frags on the sandbed to even want to attempt it :(
anyways, looking awesome!

[Germanman]

wow lol i was just in my LFS today and they had some of them i wanted some so bad cause they are soo beautiful..but i already have sand shifters. they look great!

[Subliminal]

They do look great!

My local petco is a great store. They have a few fishie type people who actually seem to care.

That's all that really matters at a pet store, imo...the people who work there have to care. ;)

[Mr.Firemouth]

are they actualy mated or jsut paired?!
i had an orange spotted diamond goby in my fowlr, andnow i have a pink spotted watachman. i wanted to put him in my reef, but i have too many frags on the sandbed to even want to attempt it
anyways, looking awesome!

This unedited article first appeared in the May 1993 issue of Aquarium Fish Magazine
The Substrate Sifting Gobies:
Fishes that Earn Their Keep

By J. Charles Delbeek and Scott W. Michael

Sleeper Gobies (Genus Valenciennea)
There are approximately 15 species of this genus in tropical waters,
ranging in size from 5 cm to 20 cm (Debelius 1986). A number of
species frequently make their way into the tanks of marine retailers,
they include: the Yellow-headed Sleeper goby, Valenciennea
strigata (Brousonet, 1782), the Maiden or Diamond Sleeper goby,
V. puellaris (Tomiyama, 1955), the Banded or Tiger Sleeper
goby, V. wardi (Playfair & Gunther, 1886), the Sixspot Sleeper
goby, V. sexguttata (Valenciennes, 1837), the Two-stripe
Sleeper goby, V. helsdingenii (Bleeker, 1858), and the Long-
finned Sleeper goby, V. longipinnis (Lay & Bennett, 1839). We
have included a table with information on the maximum size and the
distinguishing characteristics of the above listed members of this
genus.

These gobies feed primarily on tiny crustaceans (usually under 1 mm in
length) and occasionally on minute gastropods, clams, foramineferans,
and polychaete worms (Hiatt & Stratsburg 1961, St. John et al 1989).
Some of the larger species, like the Yellow-headed Sleeper, may on
rare occasion eat small fish (Hiatt & Stratsburg 1961). A study on
the Long-finned Sleeper goby documented that this fish will take bites
out of the bottom sediment to a depth of 3 cm at a rate of about six
bites per minute during the day (St. John et al 1989). As far as
aquarium clean-up is concerned not all sleeper gobies are created
equal. Some are more aggressive substrate sifters than others. For
example, the authors have found that the Maiden Sleeper and the Long-
finned Sleeper are more effective at displacing bottom sediment than
the Banded Sleeper and the Two-stripe Sleeper.

The size of the Sleeper goby burrow varies from one species to the
next. In the case of V. sexguttata the burrow is 10-15 cm
long, with a coral rubble roof and a rectangular floor plan (Paulson
1978). In the larger Yellow-headed sleeper up to 6 liters of resin was
required to fill one burrow (Paulson 1978)! The burrows of some
sleeper gobies provide sanctuary for other fish as well the resident
gobies. For example, juvenile convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus
triostegus) refuged in 2% of all V. sexguttata burrows
observed near Enewetak Atoll. Twenty percent of all V.
puellaris burrows examined contained juvenile yellow tangs
(Zebrasoma flavescens). Small groups (of 2-20 individuals) of
Green Torpedo gobies (Ptereleotris microlepis) were observed to
hang above the entrances of Sixspot, Maiden, and Long-finned sleeper
goby holes and to disappear into the burrows when a predator
approached (Paulson 1978; S. Michael personal observation).

Some species of Sleeper gobies have interesting defensive behaviours
that the aquarist may encounter. For example, juvenile V. wardi
have one spot on their dorsal fin and one on their caudal fin and,
like the Signal gobies, mimic the head-on perspective of a predator
when viewed from the side. When threatened, the Banded Sleeper
presents his side toward the predator and raises his dorsal fin and
spreads his tail, displaying the eye-spots (S. Michael, personal
observation)!

Aquarium Behaviour
Sleeper gobies usually pair for life when they are young (Debelius
1986). Usually the pair occupies a burrow on its own, but sometimes as
many as ten sleeper gobies, representing several different size
classes, will utilize the same burrow (Paulson 1978). Sleeper gobies
are sometimes sold as pairs and the authors recommend that you buy
both individuals in such cases. If you have a single specimen you
should try to find it a companion as they apparently do better in
pairs; their pair bonding behaviors are also fascinating to observe.
Most sleeper pairs are easy to recognize as they swim very close
together through the tank, with the lower jaw of one touching the
upper surface of the head of the other. They look like a figure
skating pair as they "waltz" through the aquarium together! Males are
easily distinguished from the female as they have an elongated second
dorsal spine similar to the mandarin dragonet (see Delbeek 1989).

Some sleeper gobies spend most of their time hovering above the bottom
(e.g. Yellow-headed Sleeper goby), while others are most often
observed prone on the substrate (e.g. Maiden Sleeper goby, Banded
Sleeper goby). Some sleepers are also more secretive than others.
For example, the aquarist may go without seeing a newly introduced
Banded Sleeper for weeks and when this sleeper does show itself it is
often for very brief periods of time.

When first introduced in the aquarium it is not unusual for sleepers
to hide for several days as they become acclimated to their new
surroundings. Once they have overcome their initial shyness they will
go about the chore of building their home. This usually consists of
excavating a hole under a rock that both will share. It is important
to arrange your decorations in a stable configuration or else you may
find your delicately balanced decorations lying in a jumbled heap on
the bottom! Not only does the feeding behavior of the sleeper gobies
help put detritus into suspension, their active burrowing under
aquarium decor also proves beneficial in this regard. When evening
comes the pair will retreat to their burrow and the male will create a
small pile of rocks at the entrance or plug it with a ball of algae to
block it off for the night. Once they have survived for several
months without any problems, your sleeper gobies should live for many
years (Achterkamp 1986).

Sleeper gobies will eat most foods offered but it may take a few weeks
before they will accept prepared foods. They are particularly fond of
small crustacean (e.g., brine shrimp, mysis) and blackworms, but feed
them a varied diet. It is also possible that some species may feed on
larval and juvenile bristleworms, although they have been seen to
ingest and then spit out adult worms (S. Michael, personal
observation). Since many of the sleepers are active fish that can grow
to at least 20 cm in length. they must be kept well fed or else they
will slowly waste away. Therefore, it is important to have a good
filtration system, preferably enhanced by the presence of a protein
skimmer, to deal with the considerable amounts of waste products that
they produce.

Breeding Behaviour
As mentioned above, male sleeper gobies are easily identified by their
elongated second dorsal spine. The female generally lays about 2000
eggs on the roof of their chamber. She will tend the eggs for 3 weeks
during which she will not leave the chamber. Just before hatching
occurs the male will seal the entrance to the chamber, sealing in the
female. After the eggs have hatched the male will reopen the chamber,
at night, freeing the 2 mm fry (Debelius 1986). We have not read any
reports of successful rearing of the fry but it seems that it may be
possible given enough time and patience.

Sleeper gobies, Hover gobies and Signal gobies can help the aquarist
to maintain a clean and healthy substrate, however, one may still have
to perform the odd stir-and-siphon routine if problems develop.
Although most of these fish are active sifters they cannot do so with
a substrate that is too large such as dolomite or crushed coral. In
fact, these fish may injure themselves trying to handle substrate that
is too large or coarse, and bacterial infections may result. The best
substrates to use have grain diameters less than 2 mm in diameter,
such as coral sand or finely crushed coral. As mentioned above, in
order to aid in burrow construction some larger sized pieces should be
mixed in with the finer to provide "building-blocks" for the fish.

The info and descriptions indicate and confirm they are a pair. The larger male does have the elongated second dorsal ray.

I posted this to help others identify pairs if possible and to promote purchasing pairs together rather than individual fish.
HTH, everyone, Rich

[Reefscape]

Hey Rich....

Many thanks for posting the article, should be invaluable to keepers of these fine...

Niko