Sleeper Goby

About

The sleeper goby (Dormitator lebretonis) is a West African species that turns up only occasionally in the hobby, but rewards those who track one down with genuinely interesting behavior and surprisingly good looks once it matures. Juveniles are fairly plain, but adults develop a warm patterning of reds and blues that makes them worth the wait. In the wild, this fish ranges from Senegal down to the Kunene River on the Namibia-Angola border, living in estuaries, mangrove creeks, and coastal lagoons. It tolerates a wide range of salinities and can even breathe air when conditions require it, which tells you something about how adaptable the species is. It does well in brackish or hard freshwater setups, and despite being listed as aggressive, it can be housed in a community as long as tankmates are chosen carefully. Nothing small enough to swallow should share its tank, and slow-moving or long-finned fish may find their fins getting nipped. Good companions tend to be mid-to-large brackish regulars like monos, archerfish, or chromides. Groups can work if the tank offers enough territory to go around, since males in particular will bicker over space. Breeding has happened in captivity, apparently using caves or broad leaves as spawning sites, though documentation is sparse.