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General information – The Bumblebee Goby's black and yellow

stripes resembling a bee. They swim slowly around the bottom of a

tank which is similar to a bee buzzing from flower to flower. Their

body is elongated and round and there are two Dorsal fins separated

by a wide indentation. The rear dorsal is located above a similar

shaped anal fin. The back portion of the tail fin is rounded. The Basic

background color of the Goby is a pleasant Honey Yellow or mustard

color. This color is marked with a series of Black vertical band and

spots. Usually there are four main bands, the first runs over the fishes

head near the eye. The next two bands cove the body and slightly on

the fins. The final band ends at the start of the tail (caudal) fin. In

between the bands there can be less pronounced Black spots. As the

fish ages the Black tends to fade and the Yellow becomes more

pronounced. A unique characteristic of gobies is their fused pelvic

fins that form a disc-shaped sucker. They use this for sticking to

rocks, coral and the glass on aquarium walls.Bumblebee Gobies

have a fairly short life span of up to 3 years.

Bumblebee Goby (Bumblebee Fish)
Photo by: Dr. Gal Goshen

Common Name - Bumblebee Goby, Bumblebee Fish, Golden-banded Goby.

Scientific Name - Brachygobius xanthozona.

Family - Gobiidae.

Origin - Asia.

Size – At adulthood, the Bumblebee Goby will be approximately 2 inches (4-5 cm) long.

Nutrition – Requires a diet rich in small, live foods such as Tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp

and daphnia. Can be difficult to feed with frozen and dried foods.

Behavior - Peaceful, but very territorial towards others of its own species, although suggest keeping it

in groups as this disperses aggression. Can be kept with more aggressive fish, despite their small size.

Maintenance and care – Requires at least 20 gallons tank. Keep a fairly large number (10 or more)

in the tank, and provide plenty of hiding places such as stones tubes and caves. Plants will be limited to

salt tolerant varieties. Their natural habitat is brackish water. It found in the shallow rivers and estuaries in

Asia. Most gobies are saltwater fish but some species can live in brackish water and a small number

can survive in freshwater.

Water Parameters – Temperature: 75°-86°F (24°-30°C), PH: 7.5-8.5

Breeding - Not one of the easier fish to breed. Condition the fish well with a varied diet of small live foods

such as mosquito larvae, brine shrimp and Daphnia. You should be able to tell when the fish are ready

when the females become visibly plumper and male's black bars almost disappear. Gobies tend to breed 

in typhoon season, in order to trigger spawning lower the level of water in the tank and add at least fifty

percent fresh, chemically unconditioned cool water (around eighteen to twenty degrees Celsius) to their

environment. Usually it wont work the first time, but persevere and success will be achieved eventually.

The eggs are usually laid in flower pots, under rocks or in caves. The eggs are guarded fiercely by the

male. In four to five days the eggs will hatch. The fry are very difficult to feed and should consist of liquid

food. Once hatched you should move the parents as they tend to eat the young. The young will swim in

all strata of the tank and after four to five weeks settle on the bottom and start to take on the adult

coloration.

 

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