Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius xanthomelas) Care Guide
A tiny, boldly patterned goby with alternating bright yellow and black bands resembling a bumblebee. While often sold as freshwater, it does best in slightly brackish conditions.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Brachygobius xanthomelas is a species in the family Gobiidae. A tiny, boldly patterned goby with alternating bright yellow and black bands resembling a bumblebee. While often sold as freshwater, it does best in slightly brackish conditions. A territorial bottom-dweller that perches on rocks and decorations, it requires live or frozen foods and may refuse flakes.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Brachygobius
- Scientific name: Brachygobius xanthomelas
- Other names: Gold-banded Goby
- Origin: Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Habitat
Native to coastal estuaries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, where it inhabits brackish mangrove streams and tidal pools. Often kept successfully in soft brackish water (specific gravity 1.005-1.010); breeding accounts in pure fresh water exist but the species is more reliably maintained at slightly brackish salinity.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L
- Temperature: 22-28 °C
- pH: 7-8.5
- GH: 8-20 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Adult size: 2-4 cm
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Difficulty: intermediate
Diet
Classified as carnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Swimming level: bottom
- Compatible tank mates: Other Bumblebee Gobies, Mollies, Endler's Livebearer
- Avoid with: Large Fish, Aggressive Fish, Fast Feeders
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: egg-depositor
- Breeding difficulty: intermediate
Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius xanthomelas) Breeding Guide
Overview
Bumblebee gobies of the genus Brachygobius are tiny, boldly banded bottom-dwellers. They are cave spawners and can be bred in the aquarium, though the small adult size and demand for live foods make them an intermediate project. Note a salinity caveat: many Brachygobius occur in slightly brackish water, but B. xanthomelas is documented from freshwater swamps and tea-coloured peat streams and is not reported from brackish or tidal environments. The conditions below follow the species data where available and the genus breeding biology otherwise.
Sexing
Sexually mature females are typically rounder-bodied than males, especially when gravid. Across the genus, males tend to be slimmer with more vivid colouration; during spawning males deepen in colour and the yellow bands may turn reddish.
Conditioning
Small live foods such as Artemia and Daphnia should be considered essential, although some individuals learn to accept frozen alternatives. Conditioning a group on these foods builds the gravid females needed for spawning. For B. xanthomelas the recorded water is soft, tea-coloured and tannin-stained at pH 7.0–8.5 and 22–28 °C.
Breeding Setup
Provide caves or shells as spawning sites, since the genus deposits eggs inside a cave that the male then guards. A species-appropriate tank — small but well structured with rockwork, shells and shelter — gives males defendable sites and reduces conspecific aggression. Maintain warmth in the 22–28 °C range.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Eggs are deposited inside a cave where they are guarded by the male. In the genus a spawning yields roughly 150–200 eggs. The male tends the clutch through incubation.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs hatch after about seven days, and the young become free-swimming within a further five to seven days. The fry are very small; tiny first foods are required from the moment they are free-swimming. Leave egg-guarding to the male until hatching.