Golden-red stiphodon

About

Found darting across rocky substrates in the fast-flowing, crystal-clear streams of Melanesia, Stiphodon rutilaureus is a small goby native to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Like other members of its genus, it is built for life in current. A streamlined body and fused pelvic fins that form a sucker-like disc allow it to hold position on smooth boulders without being swept away. These gobies are among the smallest fish you can keep, topping out well under two inches, which makes them a natural fit for compact aquariums with good flow and a rocky aquascape that mimics their native habitat. Despite coming from what sounds like demanding conditions, they are considered a manageable choice for hobbyists who can provide clean, well-oxygenated water and a decent current. In the wild they graze on biofilm and algae scraped from rock surfaces, so a mature tank with established growth on the hardscape goes a long way toward keeping them happy. They are not aggressive fish and their small size means they work well in a community focused on similarly sized, current-adapted species. Documentation on this particular species is still fairly limited, so much of what we know is inferred from related Stiphodon that share the same riverine lifestyle.