Spotted Dwarfgoby (Eviota guttata) Care Guide
Eviota guttata is a tiny Indian Ocean dwarfgoby reaching about 3.2 cm, living on shallow mixed coral and algal reefs.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Eviota guttata, the spotted dwarfgoby, was described by Lachner and Karnella in 1978. It is one of the smallest reef fishes, reaching a maximum total length of about 3.2 cm. The species is native to the western Indian Ocean and is reef-associated and benthic.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Eviota
- Scientific name: Eviota guttata Lachner & Karnella, 1978
- Common name: Spotted dwarfgoby
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species occurs in the Indian Ocean across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, the Seychelles and the Maldives, with the holotype recorded from Massawa, Eritrea. It inhabits inshore areas near continental and island shores, associated with shallow reefs that combine coral and algal growth, in water generally shallower than 15 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 3.2 cm total length (FishBase)
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
Diet
The species is a micro-carnivore. FishBase reports a trophic level of about 3.1, consistent with feeding on small benthic and planktonic invertebrates. In aquaria it accepts small frozen and prepared foods sized for tiny mouths.
Compatibility
Eviota guttata is a peaceful, bottom-oriented species. Because of its very small size it should be kept only with calm, small tankmates and must not be housed with larger predatory fishes that would consume it.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2017).
Eviota guttata Breeding Guide
Overview
Eviota guttata, the spotted dwarfgoby, is one of the smallest reef fishes, reaching a total length of about 3.2 cm. It is described from Massawa, Eritrea, and occurs in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, Maldives and Seychelles, on shallow inshore reefs with mixed coral and algal growth at depths under 15 m. Members of the genus Eviota are short-lived, with some tropical species completing their life cycle in as little as 3.5 weeks.
Sexing
Published sources do not document reliable external sexing characters specific to Eviota guttata. Across the genus, sexes are difficult to separate visually outside the spawning period, when males may be observed tending eggs. No verified field guide to in-aquarium sexing of this species is available.
Breeding Setup
No captive-breeding protocol has been published for Eviota guttata. Its natural habitat is shallow coral-and-algal reef, which suggests a mature, stable nano reef system would be required to keep the species at all. Given its extremely small adult size and very short natural life cycle, any attempt at reproduction would need a heavily fed copepod- and rotifer-rich system rather than a documented method.
Common Challenges
The principal challenge is the near-total absence of documented reproductive data. The species' tiny size, brief lifespan and the demersal egg-laying habit typical of small gobies — eggs deposited in crevices and on hard substrate — make egg detection and larval rearing of any resulting fry experimentally difficult. Larvae of small reef gobies typically require very small live prey, which has not been worked out for this species.