The Breeder's Registry© Information contained in this report is taken from submitted observations from aquarist unless noted otherwise (see comments). Information may be reproduced providing the Breeder's Registry is cited.
Breeder ID: GOBOCE-081593-FERJOE-002 Date received: 8/15/93
Identification: Gobiosoma oceanops (Jordan, 1904) Geographic origin: West Atlantic
Taxonomy:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Osteichthyes Superorder Teleostei
Order Perciformes
Family Gobiidae
Genus Gobiosoma Subgenus Elacatinus
Species Oceanops (Jordan, 1904)
Duration male(yr): 3.0 Size male (mm): 32 Duration female (yr): 3.0 Size female (mm): 37
Physical differences: Male genitalia parilla is not easily seen
Adult diet: Frozen Artemia, krill, micro worms, Artemia nauplii
Pre-spawning activity: Pairs do not fight, stay close to each and appear "relaxed".
Time spawning began: AM Area spawning occurred: PVC tube (US 1") 15 cm long .
Frequency of spawning: 14 days Egg description: whitish mass
Approximate quantity: 80 - 250 Size: not indicated
Egg changes / development: Eyes develop day 5. Eyes are reflective.
Incubation period: 7 - 10 days Time hatching occurred: dark
Size of hatching larvae: 3 mm Yolk sac present?: yes
Newly hatched appearance: Swim with "jerking" motion. Attracted to light.
Transfer / removal method: not indicated
Spawning tank size (liter):
Lighting & photo period: 7.5 - 15 watt, photo period not indicated
Filtration: not indicated
Additives and dosages: none
Water temperature (F): 77F Specific gravity: 1.022 pH: not indicated Nitrate: 0
Fry development / changes: Could wait 24 hours before feeding. Hatch clear, coloration begins 25 - 30 days starting with black, followed by blue. Fry begin clinging to sides of tank.
First food offered: Rotifers
Second food offered: Artemia, not indicated at what day.
Survival 4th week(%):50%
Development description: not indicated
Rearing tank size (liter): 37
Lighting & photo period: 7.5 - 15 watts. Continuous 60 - 90 days, then 14 hours)
Filtration: aeration only, airstones (low)
Additives and dosages: none
Water temperature (F): 77 F Specific gravity: 1.022 pH: not indicated Nitrate: <10 ppm
Comments: Have also spawned on glass or rock. Tank was not covered post-metamorphosis. New water used with each spawn.
First described by David Starr Jordan in 1904 as Elacatinus oceanops. Bohlke and Robins (1968) divided the genus Gobiosoma into 5 subgenera (Gobiosoma, Austrogobius, Garmannia,Tigrigobius and Elacatinus). G. oceanops is commonly called the "neon goby" and is often confused with G. evelynae (Sharknose goby).
Word origin: Gobiosoma comes from the Latin root gobi, =us meaning a kind of fish and the Greek root =soma meaning a body. The genus oceanops comes from the Greek word ocean, -omeaning the ocean and the Greek root op, =s meaning appearance. Thus Gobiosoma oceanopsis a fish body with the appearance of the ocean (the latter possibly refers to the blue coloration).
An excellent reference on this genus is:
Colin, Patrick, The Neon Gobies: The comparative biology of the Gobies of the genus Gobiosoma, Subgenus Elacatinus, (Pisces: Gobiidae) in the tropical western North Atlantic Ocean., 1975, T. F. H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-450-8, hardbound 304 pages.