Brachygobius

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Brachygobius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Gobiidae Subfamily: Gobionellinae Genus: Brachygobius Bleeker, 1874
Species[1]
B. aggregatus B. doriae B. kabiliensis B. mekongensis B. nunus B. sabanus B. xanthomelas B. xanthozonus
Synonyms
Hypogymnogobius Bleeker, 1874

Brachygobius is a small genus of gobies. They are popular aquarium fish where a number of species are sold as bumblebee gobies because their colours are similar to those of bumblebees.^[2]

Contents 1 Morphology 2 Taxonomy 3 Ecology 4 Reproduction 5 In the aquarium 6 References

[edit] Morphology

Bumblebee gobies range in size from 1.5 cm to 4 cm.^[3] They are generally coloured black with pale yellow to orange bands.^[4] Males are generally slimmer than females and often have more vivid colours, typically orange rather than yellow.^[4] Females may also have smaller and rounder heads.^[3] When spawning, the colours of the males become deeper, the orange bands becoming red in the case of Brachygobius doriae.^[3]

[edit] Taxonomy

At least 10 species have been recognised within the genus.^[4] They are informally divided by taxonomists into the dwarf Brachygobius nunus-species group (e.g., B. nunus, B. aggregatus, and B. mekongensis) and the bigger Brachygobius doriae-species group (e.g., B. doriae, B. sabanus, and B. xanthomelas).^[3]

[edit] Ecology

Bumblebee gobies are found across Southern and Southeast Asia primarily in freshwater habitats but also in slightly brackish waters.^[4][3]

[edit] Reproduction

These gobies are oviparous. Eggs are deposited in a cave where they are guarded by the male.^[4] Clutch size is around 150-200 eggs.^[5] The eggs hatch after around seven days and the fry become free swimming another five to seven days later.^[4]

[edit] In the aquarium

Bumblebee gobies are popular aquarium fish.^[5] A tank around 40 litres in size will house a dozen specimens comfortably. Under good conditions they can live in an aquarium for around 5 years.^[4] The most commonly traded species in the hobby belong to the Brachygobius doriae-species group but the smaller Brachygobius nunus is also traded occasionally.^[4][3] Although many aquarium books use the name Brachygobius xanthozona, this species is very rare in the wild and is not commercially traded.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ Brachygobius (TSN 172050). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 05-21 2007.
2. ^ Fenner, Robert. Fresh to Brackish Water Gobioids. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Schäfer F: Brackish Water Fishes, pp 49-51, Aqualog 2005, ISBN 3-936027-82-X
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Naomi Delventhal in Monks, Neale (2006): Brackish Water Fishes, pp 131-132, TFH Publishing. ISBN 0-7938-0564-3
5. ^ ^{a b} Riehl R. & Baensch H: Aquarium Atlas (vol. 1), pp 836-837, Voyageur Press, 1996, ISBN 3-88244-050-3