菲律宾枝牙鰕虎鱼 · Blue Neon Goby

Overview

A bright blue-green side stripe together with a reddish edge on the first dorsal fin is a useful clue to male Stiphodon atropurpureus. Trade names are often misleading: the label “Sumatran blue neon goby” does not describe its known distribution.

Distribution & habitat

Records include southern Japanese islands, Taiwan, the southern Chinese coast including Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia's Tioman Island. Typical habitats are higher stream sections, often above waterfalls, where narrow fast runs alternate with broader quiet stretches. Clear oxygenated water and rocky beds support abundant biofilm.

Aquarium setup

Provide a mature aquarium with plentiful algae-bearing stones. Place large rocks securely on the base before surrounding them with sand or gravel; burrowing must not destabilize the layout. Multiple males need shelters and visual separation. Strong lighting and optional hardy attached plants help maintain grazing surfaces.

Use filtration, circulation, and aeration together. Suggested turnover is about 10–15 aquarium volumes hourly, or 5–10 with effective oxygenation. Replace approximately 30–50% of the water weekly, increasing surface movement in warmer conditions. Preserve useful algal growth rather than scrubbing every surface. Close lid gaps against climbing fish.

Diet & feeding

Genus-level guidance identifies these gobies as specialized grazers of algae and associated microorganisms. Occasional accepted sinking foods or small meaty items do not replace established feeding surfaces. A separate brightly lit container can produce algae-coated stones for rotation into the main aquarium. Tough black brush algae is not a dependable food reserve.

Emaciated fish may have lacked suitable food for some time. Recovery requires accessible grazing material and freedom from strong competitors.

Behaviour & compatibility

Peaceful, similarly sized fishes using higher levels are preferable. Avoid aggressive feeding loaches, large fishes, and territorial bottom-dwelling cichlids. Males defend some space, but several can coexist with enough food and cover. A male accompanied by two or more females is a suggested starting group.

Sexual dimorphism

Males have a gray background and a vivid blue-green stripe, which can become almost white in dominant or courting fish. Females are paler overall with a dark irregular lateral stripe.

Breeding

Freshwater spawning in this genus is followed by downstream transport of larvae into the sea. Juveniles return inland after marine development. Courtship or egg guarding in a tank does not solve the larval-rearing challenge, and developmental timings measured in relatives are not automatically applicable.

Notes

Combine the side stripe with the reddish first-dorsal margin and dark dorsal fins when assessing identity. Both mislabeling of this species and use of its name for other gobies occur in trade, making color or online photographs alone unreliable.