Doria's Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius doriae) Care Guide
Brachygobius doriae is a nano bumblebee goby from Bornean coastal streams, kept in small hard, slightly brackish tanks in groups.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Brachygobius doriae is a bumblebee goby reaching about 25-35 mm, with broad black bands on a yellow body; during spawning the orange bands of males intensify to red. It is the dominant bumblebee goby in the aquarium hobby and is easily confused with B. xanthozona.
Taxonomy
- Family: Oxudercidae
- Genus: Brachygobius
- Scientific name: Brachygobius doriae
Habitat
It is native to Borneo and the nearby Natuna Islands, inhabiting mangrove swamps, estuaries and tidal streams in lowland coastal regions. It prefers hard freshwater or slightly brackish conditions.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L (base 45 x 30 cm)
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 7.5-8.5
- GH: 12-25 °dGH; marine salt around 2 g/L often used
- Group size: 6 or more recommended
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
Small live foods such as Artemia and Daphnia are essential; some specimens accept frozen alternatives, while dried products are normally ignored.
Compatibility
A bottom-dwelling nano species generally unsuitable for general community tanks. A group of six or more is the recommended minimum to spread aggression and promote natural behavior.
Breeding
It is a cave spawner depositing around 100-200 eggs, with an incubation period of about seven to nine days. Newly free-swimming fry need microscopic foods before accepting larger prey.
Doria's Bumblebee Goby Breeding Guide
Overview
Brachygobius doriae is a small banded brackish-water goby and a cave spawner with male parental care. It is often misidentified as B. nunus or B. xanthozonus; reference sources note that B. xanthozonus is possibly endemic to Java and not currently in the aquarium hobby, so much of what is sold as a bumblebee goby is in fact B. doriae. It is kept and bred in slightly brackish, hard water over sand.
Sexing
Sexually mature females often appear rounder-bodied than males, particularly when gravid. Males in spawning condition take on an overall reddish tinge with paler body bars, while females show brightened yellow coloration. Females may show an ovipositor shortly before spawning.
Conditioning
As a carnivore, this goby is conditioned on regular small live and frozen foods to bring females into a gravid, spawning-ready state. A settled group in stable brackish conditions encourages a male to claim a site and court.
Breeding Setup
Offer small enclosed spawning caves: small flower pots, ceramic tubes, shells, or plastic camera film canisters all serve well, with light canisters weighted to keep them in place. Maintain slightly brackish, hard water and a sandy substrate.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
A male selects a cave and displays to nearby females until he finds a receptive partner. Around 100 to 200 eggs are deposited in the cave, after which the female departs, leaving the male to guard and tend the clutch.
Egg & Fry Care
The incubation period is 7 to 9 days, during which the male tends the eggs. Once free-swimming, the fry are initially pelagic and require microscopic foods such as Paramecium or Brachionus until they are large enough to accept Artemia nauplii, settling on the substrate after several weeks.
Common Challenges
Supplying suitably tiny live first foods for the pelagic fry and keeping brackish parameters stable through the rearing weeks are the principal hurdles. Correct species identification before pairing is also important given the genus's confused nomenclature.