Okinawa Goby Care Guide
Trimma okinawae is a tiny Western Pacific pygmy goby of clear coastal reefs that hovers in caves and is a bi-directional sex changer.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Trimma okinawae is a small marine pygmy goby of the family Gobiidae, described by Aoyagi in 1949. It reaches about 3.5 cm and has a greyish body with dense orange spotting on the head and body and faint spotting on the fins.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Trimma
- Scientific name: Trimma okinawae
- Authority: Aoyagi, 1949
Habitat
The species ranges across the Western Pacific from the Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands to Rotuma, south to the Rowley Shoals in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef, with recent records from Tonga. It is reef-associated, inhabiting clear coastal reefs in association with sponges, and typically hovers upside-down in small caves, recorded at 8 to 35 m.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 50 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Maximum size: 3.5 cm SL
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
Diet
Trimma okinawae is a carnivore. Small pygmy gobies of this type take tiny meaty foods; offering small portions about twice daily suits its size.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, bottom-oriented nano goby that forms small loose groups. It suits calm reef tanks with peaceful tank mates such as clownfish, cardinalfish and wrasses, and should not be housed with predators that could eat it.
Breeding
According to FishBase the species is a benthic spawner and is considered a bi-directional sex changer.
Breeding Trimma okinawae (Orange-Red Pygmy Goby)
Overview
Trimma okinawae (Aoyagi, 1949), the orange-red pygmygoby, is a tiny Western Pacific goby ranging from the Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands to Rotuma, the Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef. FishBase reports a maximum size of 3.5 cm SL over a depth range of 8-35 m, with the fish hovering, often upside-down, in small caves of clear coastal reefs near sponges and forming small loose groups.
Sexing
FishBase identifies Trimma okinawae as a bidirectional sex changer, meaning individuals can transition between female and male in either direction. Because sex is socially flexible and the fish is very small, fixed external sexing is not practical; a functional pair instead resolves from the social group.
Conditioning
This pygmy goby is a micro-predator that takes very small planktonic and benthic foods. In a nano reef, frequent feeding of fine meaty foods supports condition, and cave structure that lets the fish hover and shelter reflects its natural microhabitat.
Breeding Setup
A stable nano reef with caves and overhangs in rock or coral matches the species' preference for small reef recesses. Knowledge-base parameters are temperature 24-26 degrees C, pH 8.1-8.4 and moderate flow. Maintaining a small group allows the social system to establish a breeding pair.
Egg & Fry Care
FishBase classifies Trimma okinawae as a benthic spawner, so eggs are attached to a hard surface within the cave. There is no documented account of egg-care duration, hatching time or successful larval rearing for this species; the very small larvae and lack of a feeding protocol are the main barriers to captive production.