Spikefin Goby (Discordipinna griessingeri) Care Guide
Discordipinna griessingeri is a tiny Indo-Pacific goby with a tall spiky dorsal fin, reaching about 3 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Discordipinna griessingeri, the spikefin goby (also called the flaming prawn goby), was described by Hoese and Fourmanoir in 1978. It is a tiny benthic goby with a maximum length of about 3 cm SL, recognised by an enlarged, spiky first dorsal fin and dark facial spots.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Discordipinna
- Scientific name: Discordipinna griessingeri Hoese & Fourmanoir, 1978
- Common names: Spikefin goby, flaming prawn goby
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the Marquesas Islands, including Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a secretive bottom-dweller of reef areas with live coral, rubble and sand, recorded between 2 and 45 m (usually 2-15 m). It is not associated with burrows or commensal shrimp.
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 3 cm SL (FishBase)
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
Diet
FishBase reports a trophic level of about 3.1, indicating a carnivorous diet of small invertebrates. In aquaria this secretive species requires small live and frozen foods and a mature system with abundant micro-fauna.
Compatibility
Discordipinna griessingeri is a peaceful, reclusive, bottom-dwelling species. Its very small size requires calm, small tankmates and excludes larger predatory fishes.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2015).
Discordipinna griessingeri Breeding Guide
Overview
Discordipinna griessingeri, the spikefin goby, is a small goby of the family Gobiidae reaching only 10 to 22 mm standard length as an adult. It is mostly white with orange stripes along the body and the tall, protruding first dorsal fin and dark spots on the face. It occurs in the western Pacific, Pacific islands such as Hawai'i and Polynesia, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, occupying crevices and pockets in coral reef rock, rubble and sand between 2 and 50 m depth. It is reclusive and, despite the alternative name flaming prawn goby, is not associated with burrows or prawns.
Sexing
No reliable external sexing characters are documented for this species. Its reclusive, cryptic habits make any in-tank observation of paired behaviour difficult.
Breeding Setup
No captive-breeding protocol has been published. Given its crevice-dwelling natural habitat, a mature reef system with abundant live rock providing dark pockets would be a prerequisite even to keep the species, and any reproduction attempt would be experimental.
Common Challenges
The species' secretive habits and absence of published reproductive data are the main barriers. Like other small reef gobies it is expected to be a demersal egg-layer that would hide any eggs deep within reef structure, making egg detection and the rearing of small-mouthed larvae extremely difficult.