Sixspot Sleeper Goby Care Guide
Valenciennea sexguttata is an Indo-Pacific sand-sifting goby with blue spots that lives in monogamous pairs within burrows under rocks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Valenciennea sexguttata, the sixspot sleeper goby (also chalk goby), is a marine fish of the family Gobiidae described by Valenciennes in 1837. It is a sand-sifting goby recognised by bright blue spots and a yellow throat patch on a pale body.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Valenciennea
- Scientific name: Valenciennea sexguttata
- Authority: Valenciennes, 1837
Habitat
The species ranges across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and East Africa to Samoa, north to the Yaeyama and Ryukyu Islands and south to Queensland, Australia. It is reef-associated, inhabiting silty or sandy areas of lagoons and bays, recorded at 3 to 25 m. Adults typically live in pairs within burrows beneath rocks.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Maximum size: 14 cm TL
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
Diet
Valenciennea sexguttata is a carnivore. Like other members of the genus it forages over sand; a fine sand bed and feeding about twice daily support this behaviour in captivity.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, bottom-dwelling goby usually found in pairs or small aggregations. It suits reef tanks with calm tank mates such as clownfish, cardinalfish and wrasses, and should not be kept with predators.
Breeding
The species is monogamous, with mating described as both obligate and social.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed 20 June 2017.
Breeding Valenciennea sexguttata (Sixspot Sleeper Goby)
Overview
Valenciennea sexguttata (Valenciennes, 1837), the sixspot goby, is an Indo-Pacific sand sifter ranging from the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and East Africa to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to Queensland. FishBase reports a maximum size of 14.0 cm TL over a depth range of 3-25 m and describes a fish of silty or sandy lagoons and bays that lives in a burrow under rocks, often in pairs. It is monogamous and follows the burrow-spawning biology of its genus.
Sexing
FishBase records the species as monogamous and frequently found in pairs. External sex differences are not reliable, so a pair is formed from two fish that settle a shared burrow, with a ripening female showing a fuller abdomen before spawning.
Conditioning
Like its congeners, this sand sifter takes small benthic invertebrates and is placed at an estimated trophic level of about 3.2. A pair is conditioned over a deep, fine sand bed for continuous sifting, supplemented with regular meaty feeds to build spawning condition.
Breeding Setup
A spacious system with a deep sand bed and rocks to burrow beneath suits this species; the knowledge base lists a minimum volume of 200 L. Parameters are temperature 24-26 degrees C, pH 8.1-8.4 and moderate flow. The pair excavates a burrow under rockwork that serves as both refuge and spawning chamber.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Following the Valenciennea pattern, the pair spawns inside the burrow and attaches a demersal egg mass to the burrow ceiling. A settled, well-fed pair with a secure burrow is the practical prerequisite for spawning; no distinct external trigger is documented for this species.
Egg & Fry Care
As in related sleeper gobies, the male tends and fans the eggs in the burrow until hatching while the female maintains the mound that aids water exchange. The hatched larvae are planktonic, and no reliable aquarium rearing protocol is documented for this species.
Common Challenges
- Providing a deep, stable sand bed and rockwork the pair can burrow beneath.
- Meeting the constant feeding demand of an active sand sifter to maintain spawning condition.
- Rearing planktonic larvae, for which no validated protocol exists.