Latin name | Amblygobius semicinctus - (Bennett, 1833) |
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Local name | Halfbarred goby |
Family | Gobiidae - Amblygobius |
Origin | East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean |
Max length | 11 cm (4.3") |
Minimum volume | 300 l (79 gal) |
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Hardiness | Hardy |
Suitable for aquarium | Suitable with care |
Reef safe | Always reef safe |
Aggressiveness | Mostly peaceful but might be aggressive towards similar species |
Recommended |
Microalgea (Eg. spirulina) Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) Zooplankton (Cyclops, pods...) |
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This species is known to jump out of open aquaria.
This species has a habit of rearranging rocks and sand.
Make sure rocks are placed securely on the substrate, so they cannot toppled over.
These fish assist in keeping the sandy substrate clean, by filtering sand through the gills for the food it contains.
This can lead to corals being covered with sand.
These fish should be kept in a well run aquarium where they can "graze" algae from rocks and stones.
If there are insufficient algae on the rocks, it is important to feed more frequently and supplement with algae rich food e.g. Spirulina.
These fish prefer a substrate which allows it to burrow.
A substrate consisting of sand, coral pieces, shells and small pieces of broken up shells is ideal for them to dig holes in.
One can also arrange rocks to enable the fish to create a hole underneath, making certain they are secure and cannot fall over.
There should be space to enable them to make a hole which is at least 1½ inch (3 cm) longer than their own body.
Other animals digging in the sand, can stress this species, if the aquarium is not spacious enough. Be therefore aware of, for example of Wrasses which burrow at night.
This species can live as a pair (male and female).
This species comes in multiple color variations which can make identification problematic.
This species is known to feed on flatworms.
One can, of course be unlucky in having a specimen that refuses to eat them.
Amblygobius albimaculatus, Amblygobius phalaena and Amblygobius semicinctus are very similar but they differ in distribution.
Gobies (Gobiidae) are generally small fish, which live close to the bottom. Many of the species are fairly hardy and well suited to aquaria. The behaviour of the different kinds of Gobies varies greatly and some can be very interesting.
The most common types of Gobies in aquaria are the following:
Sand eating Gobies (Amblygobius, Koumansetta and Valenciennea)
Sand eaters filter the sand through their mouths and out of their gills.
They are generally bigger than other Gobies, but they are usually peaceful, so size is not a problem.. They can however be aggressive towards their own species.
One must be aware that they can eradicate the micro life in the substrate when the tank is too small. If there is not enough live food in the sand, it can be difficult to ensure the fish stay in good condition, as they require frequent feeding.
They may spread sand across the corals when they eat.
Shrimp Gobies (Amblyeleotris, Cryptocentrus and Stonogbiops)
Shrimp Gobies have a symbiotic relationship with Pistol shrimps, but one must first find out which species can live together.
The shrimp and Goby live together in a small hole in the sand or under a stone where the shrimp maintains the hole, so it will not collapse over time. The Goby helps by looking out for enemies, since the shrimp does not see well in sunlight, as it will have become accustomed its vision to the darkness of the hole.
Neon Gobies (Elacatinus/Gobiosoma)
Thesef Gobies are very small and like the Cleaner Wrasse, it eats parasites off other fish.
These Gobies are easier to keep alive in the aquarium than Cleaner Wrasses, as they can eat a wide range of foods.
Clown Gobies (Gobiodon)
These fish are very small and therefore suitable for small aquariums. Clown Gobies will often hide inbetween the branches of stony corals, like Acropora for example.
They generally eat many types of food, as long as it is small enough.
Aquarium trade | No |
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Distribution | Western Indian Ocean. |
French common names |
Gobie galonne |
English common names |
Half-barred goby Halfbarred goby |
German common names |
Binden-Grundel |
Scott Michael. 2005. Aquarium Fish: Gobies of the Genus Amblygobius - Advanced Aquarist - (English)
Scott W. Michael. Reef Aquarium Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-know Species - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
James W. Fatherree. 2011. Aquarium Fish: A Look at the Gobies - Advanced Aquarist - (English)
Bob Fenner. "True" or Combtooth Gobies, the Family Gobiidae - Wet Web Media - (English)
Minimum volume
"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.
This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.
It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.
Hardiness
"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.
Suitable for aquarium
In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.
Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.
Special aquariums may cover tanks with low salinity, sub-tropical temperature, deep sand bed, sea grass etc.
Reef safe
Always reef safe: No sources indicate that this species will harm corals or other invertebrates.
Often reef safe: Only a few aquarists has reported problems keeping this species with corals and other invertebrates.
Reef safe with caution: This species may be a threat to some types of invertebrates.
Reef safe with luck: Most specimens will harm corals and/or other invertebrates, but you might be lucky.
Not reef safe: This species is a threat to most corals and/or other invertebrates.