Most gobies live in the sea. And most gobies stay small, usually less than 10 cm. So Oxyeleotris marmorata, the Marbled Sleepergoby, is an exception in more than only one respect. The species is a giant among the gobies and becomes more than 50 cm long. And usually it lives in pure freshwater; only occasionally it is found in brackish water.
Oxyeleotris marmorata is a predator. A short look in the open mouth of the fish says more than thousand words. The species can swallow fish that have about have of the length of the goby itself. However, when kept in an aquarium this creature becomes very tame and can be easily fed via a forceps. Juveniles also feed on earthworms and frozen fish food.
The Marbled Sleepergoby is a calm fish that will not swim if it is not necessary. So the species does not need – compared with the size of the fish – very large aquaria. However, they are kept best alone, only one fish per tank, because they can be pretty pugnacious against conspecifics.
Oxyeleotris is a cave spawner that produces tens of thousands of eggs. The eggs are really tiny. There are no reports of a successful breeding in captivity, but most probably it has never been tried at all. The species has a very wide distribution in South-East Asia and is very common wherever it appears.
We have obtained juveniles from Thailand recently, so fans of predatory fish have now the chance to risk an attempt.
For our customers: the fish have code 440972 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
