The Breeder’s Registry© Information contained in this report is taken from submitted observations from aquarist unless noted otherwise (see comments). Information may be reproduced providing the Breeder’s Registry is cited.

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Breeder ID: GOBOCE-061892-BELSEA-001

Date received: 6/18/92

Identification: Gobiosoma oceanops (Jordan, 1904)

Geographic origin: West Atlantic

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Taxonomy: (after I.C.Z.N.)

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata

Class Osteichthyes Superorder Teleostei

Order Perciformes

Suborder Goboidei

Family Gobiidae

Genus Gobiosoma Subgenus Elacatinus

Species Oceanops (Jordan, 1904)

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Duration male(yr): 1.5

Size male (mm): 57

Duration female (yr): 1.5

Size female (mm): 80

Physical differences: Female is larger and fuller in belly from throat to vent, especially when spawning.

Adult diet: Finely chopped shrimp with various macro algae enriched with SELCON®. Live Artemia, shredded beef heart, copepods.

Pre-spawning activity: “nest” site prepared. Increased semi-aggressive contact by female.

Time spawning began: unknown

Area spawning occurred: underside of empty bivalve shell

Frequency of spawning: not indicated

Egg description: Small adhesive mass

Approximate quantity: not indicated

Size: 2 – 3 mm, eggs elongated ~ 2 mm

Egg changes / development: Darkening, visible eye development

Incubation period:8 – 10 days

Time hatching occurred: dusk

Size of hatching larvae: 3 – 4 mm

Yolk sac present?: yes

Newly hatched appearance: Transparent and shiny with large eyes and small yolk sac. No fins except caudal are initially visible.

Transfer / removal method: not indicated

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Spawning tank size (liter): 37

Lighting & photo period: 1 Gro-Lux®, photo period not indicated

Filtration: Undergravel filter

Additives and dosages: none

Water temperature (F): 76-81 F

Specific gravity: 1.021

pH: 8.2

Nitrate: not indicated

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Fry development / changes: Markings and fin development visible at ~ 14 days. Blue neon stripe initially white/grey until 4 – 6 weeks. Size at this point ~ 45 mm.

First food offered: Enriched rotifers (SELCON®) fed on Chlorella and Isochrysis

Second food offered: newly hatched Artemia (day 8-9)

Survival 4th week(%):75 %

Development description: not indicated

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Rearing tank size (liter): 95

Lighting & photo period: 1 6000K fluorescent “daylight”

Filtration: aeration only

Additives and dosages: none

Water temperature (F): 76-81F

Specific gravity: 1.021

pH: 8.2

Nitrate: unknown

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Comments: Species easy to spawn, but fry starvation up through weeks 4 – 5 was a problem. The fry seem to require an extraordinary amount of food for their size. Adding Selcon to rotifers seemed to help, as did a switch to newly hatched Artemia at the beginning of week 2. First described by David Starr Jordan in 1904 as Elacatinus oceanops. Bohlke and Robins (1968) divided the genus Gobiosoma into 5 subgenera (Gobiosoma, Austrogobius, Garmannia, Tigrigobius and Elacatinus). G. oceanops is commonly called the “neon goby” and is often confused with G. evelynae (Sharknose goby).

Word origin: Gobiosoma comes from the Latin root gobi, =us meaning a kind of fish and the Greek root =soma meaning a body. The genus oceanops comes from the Greek word ocean, -o meaning the ocean and the Greek root op, =s meaning appearance. Thus Gobiosoma oceanops is
a fish body with the appearance of the ocean (the latter possibly refers to the blue coloration). An excellent reference on this genus is: Colin, Patrick, The Neon Gobies: The comparative biology of the Gobies of the genus Gobiosoma, Subgenus Elacatinus, (Pisces: Gobiidae) in the tropical western North Atlantic Ocean., 1975, T. F. H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-450-8, hardbound 304 pages.

About this report: Information contained in this report is taken from submitted observations. Taxonomy, Synonomy, Original description , Word origin and Suggested reading are provided by member(s) of The Breeder’s Registry staff. Information is presented under the belief that it is accurate. If you have information in addition to, or contrary to that presented you are encouraged to contact the Breeder’s Registry. Permission is granted for “one-time” personal use. Reproduction as distributed or accessible media is prohibited without prior written permission. All rights reserved. 1992