Bridled Goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum) Care Guide
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum is a Western Atlantic sand-dwelling goby reaching about 8 cm, common over white sand near reefs.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum, the bridled goby, was described by Gill in 1863. It is a Western Atlantic sand-dwelling goby reaching a maximum total length of about 8 cm. Its colour varies with substrate, appearing paler with yellow markings over white sand and darker over murky bottoms.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Coryphopterus
- Scientific name: Coryphopterus glaucofraenum Gill, 1863
- Common name: Bridled goby
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species ranges through the Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda south to Santa Catarina, Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean Sea. It favours clear white sandy areas near deep reefs as well as grassy and rocky zones, burrowing in sand and tolerating both clear and turbid inshore waters at depths of 2-45 m.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 50 L (13 gal)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 °dGH
- Maximum size: about 8 cm total length (FishBase)
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
- Substrate: open sandy bottom for burrowing
Diet
FishBase reports a trophic level of about 2.7, indicating a diet of small benthic invertebrates and associated detritus. In aquaria it accepts small frozen and prepared foods.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, bottom-oriented sand goby suited to community reef tanks with calm tankmates. It should not be combined with large predatory fishes.
Breeding
FishBase describes the species as oviparous with demersal spawning: males and females spawn within small contiguous territories and males guard the eggs.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2010).
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum Breeding Guide
Overview
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum, the bridled goby, is a goby of the family Gobiidae native to the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from North Carolina to Brazil. It reaches a length of about 8 cm total length and lives on reefs in areas of white sand at depths from 2 to 45 m. The IUCN Red List assesses it as Least Concern, and it occasionally enters the aquarium trade.
Sexing
No reliable external sexing characters are documented for the aquarist. The species' largely translucent body with faint markings offers no obvious dimorphism in available sources.
Breeding Setup
There is no published captive-breeding protocol. The species' natural habitat of white-sand patches among reef structure suggests a mature system with an open sand bed and nearby hard cover would be needed for keeping it. Any reproduction attempt would be experimental.
Common Challenges
The absence of published reproductive data is the central obstacle. As a small marine goby it is expected to deposit demersal eggs on hard surfaces, with a pelagic larval phase that would demand very small live prey not yet worked out for this species, making larval rearing the principal hurdle.