by Paul Carter

The Peacock Goby or Gudgeon (Tateurndina ocellicauda) is a native
of Papua New Guinea and is supposed to be found near the small 
township of Popondetta in slow moving freshwater streams ( maybe
they could be kept with the dwarf Rainbows from the same area ).
Maximum size is reported to be three inches, but one and a half to
two inches is normal for aquarium specimens. This is a beautiful fish,
with both sexes showing an array of greens, blues, reds and yellows
with a dark eyespot at the base of the caudal fin. The male's colours
are more intense and the female has a whitish belly.

During the early part of 1995 I was rereading some of the earlier issues
of "BRAGS MAG." and in No.2 (May 1993), I found a small article on
the Peacock Gudgeon ( Goby ) by Ian Pitts. After reading the article I
thought that this would be an ideal species to keep in one of the series
of small tanks that I was in the process of setting up.

I made some enquiries among BRAGS members and found a person
who could supply me with an adult pair. These were sent to me via
parcel post, and arrived on the 4th. April in excellent condition.

Their tank ( 18" x 10" x 10" ) was already established with two thirds
rainwater and one third tapwater ( the local tapwater is very hard
20DH ), which has a pH of 7.1 and a hardness of 6DH. The
temperature was set at 24C. and the filtration was by a small air -
operated foam filter. There was no gravel on the base, but a 3"
clay flowerpot ( on its side ) and several nylon floating mops ( as
used for breeding killies ) were added to give the fish a sence of
security.

I acclimatised them to the new water over a period of several hours so
as not to shock them to much, then they were released into their new
tank. I didn't feed them on the first day, but for the next three days
I fed only newly hatched brine shrimps. The fish seemed to settle very
quickly on this diet, after the trauma of being moved by the postal
system. Their diet afterwards was a mixture of brine shrimp, white worms
and grindal worms, frozen bloodworms, freeze-dried tubifex and a 
standard flake food ( which they were never keen on ).
 

I carried out weekly 20% water changes using water of the same 
quality and temperature.

Seven days after their arrival ( 11th. April ) they laid their first 
batch of eggs amongst the strands on one of the mops, just below 
the cork. The male stayed hidden in the mop guarding the eggs whilst
the female swam around the tank eating all the food,  The  eggs
disappeared after two days.

Eight days later ( 19th. April ) the second batch of eggs were once 
again laid on the nylon mop. This batch lasted 4 days, but a number
of the eggs fungused, and I saw one newly hatched fry, but still with
the yolk-sac attached. The next day all the eggs and the fry were 
gone.

Then on the 2nd. May ( 13 days after the second batch ) the third lot
of eggs were laid, but this time on the outside of the flowerpot. They
were just hidden from my view, so that it was not possible to estimate
their number. The fry hatched on the 3rd. day and were free-swimming
by the 6th. day. It was at this time I removed the parents. I estimate
there was between 60 and 80 youngsters.

The fry were fed on newly hatched brine shrimp for the first two weeks,
and they did not have any problem with this size food. This was then
supplemented with ground flake food and microworms. The microworms 
were not added earlier as the fry initially stayed near the surface 
and seldom ventured to the bottom of the tank. As the fry grew they
were  fed on a similar mixture to the parents. Frequency of water
changes for the fry tank were increased to twice weekly but the amount 
reduced to 15% and after 4 weeks dechlorinated tapwater was used for
the changes seemingly without harm ( due to the lack of rain ). The fry
eat everything that is added ( including normal flake food which is
not the same as for the parents ), but the growth is still slow.

Weekly water changes are very important for the fry, as whilst I was 
away on a two week holiday I lost over 20 youngsters at 3 months
of age, even though they were being fed by a friend. The only
difference being that he did not carry out any water changes.

The adult pair were moved to a community tank of small fish and settled
in very well, laying a batch of eggs every ten days or so, as long as they
were fed some livefood, but of course no fry were produced with the
other fish present ( also I did not have any room to rear another batch
of fry ). If there was no live food in their diet then spawning stopped.

This is a lovely fish, very colourful and peaceful, and it should be more
popular and available to the average fishkeeper than it is at present.

B.R.A.G.S. Mag. November 1995

The Peacock Goby

by Ian Pitts

The Peacock Gudgeon is a small fish from Papua New Guinea. It has
colours to rival some of the brightest Killifish, and is easy to keep and
breed. Sexing is easy in fish which are 1" or larger, the male having a
distinctly rounded head, longer finnage, and an absence of black
markings on his fins, where as the female has a tapered head, a 
plumper stomach and usually, a black edge to her anal fin. As the 
female comes into breeding condition, her bulging stomach area
becomes brighter yellow, and is displayed to the male in a fashion
similar to that employed by female "Kribs".

These fish do not appear to be too fussy about water conditions,
breeding in soft, slightly acid to hard and alkaline water. They do
however show a marked preference for live foods, totally ignoring
flake or pellets. Some frozen foods are taken, notably bloodworms.

For breeding, I placed a male and two females in a 39" x 15" x 12"
aquarium. The water was pH 7.2, and 78F. The substrate was about
2" of fine gravel, and undergravel filter plates ( RENA ) were used.
Cover was supplied by small flowerpots, and pieces of slate. A few
clumps af Java Moss completed the set-up. The male was about 
1.5", the females slightly smaller.

They were fed live foods, principly tubifex and mosquito larvae. Two
days after their introduction the male had established which was his
flowerpot, and would rush out to display to either female if she
happened to get close. After ten days the larger female was glowing
ventrally, and responded to the males display with one of her own.
The male now started to try to entice her into his 'cave' by fluttering
and spreading his fins in front of her, and then darting into the 
flowerpot. Eventually she followed him in, and the other female was 
chased away if she came near.

The following day the larger female was out and about again, but the 
smaller one had disappeared. The larger female was noticesbly thinner,
and duller. That evening both females were foraging for food, and the
smaller one was also thinner and duller. The male didn't appear even
when tubifex was served up. At this point I removed both females from
the spawning tank.

It was eight days later that the first free swimming fry were in evidence.
The male had still not shown! Next day he appeared, taking no notice
of the fifty odd fry which were now swimming about the tank, but picking
off the odd mosquito larva that had remained in the tank. I removed him
from this tank to that were the females were. ( Three days later he had
spawned again with the larger female ! ).

The fry grew quickly on a diet of brine shrimp nauplii, and newly hatched
mosquito larvae, reaching about 0.5" after four weeks.

B.R.A.G.S. Mag. May 1993

• Return to Goby files

• Return to main menu