JIGS Vol3#1(9)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 ————————————————————————— The Journal of the Classifieds Goby food: Daphnia starter culture, $7 including shipping International Goby Society within the US. All proceeds go to the IGS. Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 Email [email protected] If you would like to place a goby-related ad in our quarterly newsletter, send or email it to us and we will print it in the next issue. ————————————————————————— Comments, Please We’d like your comments! How do you rate our topic selec- tion, writing quality, and overall quality of our newsletter (and society)? What do you like? What do you dislike? What would you like us to do differently? What topics would you like us to cover in future issues? Please email comments to the editor or write to: International Goby Society P.O. Box 329 Richland Center, WI 53581 USA ————————————————————————— Special Thanks A very special thanks to Prof. Peter Miller, who has been studying gobies for many years and who has kindly agreed to be one of our scientific advisors. ————————————————————————— Cover photos: Top: A pair of Valenciennea strigata, a monogamous goby species. Photo by Takahiko Mukai. Bottom: Amblygobius phalaena, a non-monogamous relative of Valenciennea. For more information on these two species see our Goby News feature on pages 20-21. 24 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 ISSN 1543-7744 —————————————————————————————— Vol. 2 # 4, July 2003 The Journal of the International Goby Society (JIGS) is the quarterly publication of the International Goby Society (IGS). Non-profit Introduction (thanks to readers, Gobiodon rivulatus) organizations may reprint articles, however we ask that you contact the Goby Queries (Gobiodon, sexing bumblebee gobies, editor before doing so. Gobioides broussoneti) Editor: Naomi R. Delventhal The Periophthalmus Species, Part 3 (P. barbarus) [email protected] or [email protected] The Round Goby International Goby Society, P.O. Box 329, Richland Center, WI 53581, USA ————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————— Back issues available for $3 each (includes shipping). If you Our scientific advisors: would like an electronic copy of the text of a specific article, Dr. Helen K. Larson Indo-Pacific and Australian Gobies Dr. Richard Winterbottom Indo-Pacific Reef Gobies send a request to the editor (no charge). Dr. James L. Van Tassell Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Gobies ——————————————————————————— Dr. Robert A. Patzner Mediterranean Gobies Dr. Peter J. Miller General Gobiology News and Notices —————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————— Contents Newsletter Exchanges The IGS will exchange newsletters with other clubs and Editor’s Introduction……………………………………….3 organizations interested in gobies. If you belong to a group Goby Queries…………………………………………...….4 interested in exchanging newsletters, send an email to the editor. We can also offer reduced subscriptions to members A Conservation Note on Japanese Freshwater Gobies…….9 of a club if the newsletters are all sent to the same address. By Dr. Takahiko Mukai ————————————————————————— Notice to Authors Mudskippers: The Periophthalmus Species, Part 4……….12 By Richard Mleczko We consider articles on any aspect relating to gobies (suborder Gobioidei); their care and breeding in captivity, Mogurnda mogurnda……………………………………..16 their natural history, etc. If we print an article, the author By Roger Pontes receives credit towards a one year IGS membership. If you have a goby aquarium you would like to see featured in our Goby News…………………………………………...…...20 Goby Tanks section, please send photographs or scanned Volume 2 Index…………………………………………...22 (.jpg) images to the editor. Thank you!! ————————————————————————— 2 23 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 JIGS Volume 2 Index Editor’s Introduction Recently my mother stopped in at my favorite aquarium store. Vol. 2 # 1, September 2002 “Are you Naomi’s mother?” asked one of the clerks. “Do you Introduction (new features and advice to authors) know anything about gobies? We just got some unknowns. Goby Queries (Tateurndina ocellicauda, striped They’re in the back, being treated for fungus.” gobies, the name Eleotridae) Desert Gobies: Sneakers, Pink Mutant My mother said she didn’t know anything about gobies, but she Goby News (blind goby, Karsten totoyensis) decided to look at them, because she really does know some- The Pleasures of Watching Gobies Sift thing! Afterwards she described them to me. “They are small and have almost transparent bodies, but their mouths are similar Mediterranean Gobies to those of bumblebee gobies.” I mentioned a number of gobies Goby Tanks (10 gal. with desert gobies) with mouths similar to bumblebee gobies (a rather typical mouth shape for small gobionellines) but none were exactly what she Vol. 2 # 2, December 2002 saw. So the next day I went to see what they were. Introduction (deep-water Priolepis) I am accustomed to being astonished by gobies, but I wasn’t Goby Queries (bumblebee gobies, Cryptocentrus, really expecting what I saw. They were five desert gobies Stigmatogobius sadanundio) (Chlamydogobius eremius), but not the usual desert gobies— The Crested Mud Goby (Cryptocentroides cristatus) they were lacking dark pigments so the general coloration was The Periophthalmus Species, Part 1 pink! Interestingly, the dominant male still had slight yellow Goby Tanks (5 gal. with Brachygobius) shades and some blue on the first dorsal fin. I am usually the Goby News (Protogobius) type of aquarist who likes fish the way they are found in nature, but I could not resist buying these, as I wanted to see how the mutation breeds. Vol. 2 # 3, March 2003 Introduction (Gobiosoma ginsburgi) Many readers will remember a letter published last year from Goby Queries (Amoya sp., Lythrypnus dalli) Martyn Robinson describing a pink mutant desert goby in a Goby on a Cup display tank. Apparently that was not an isolated case, as they Goby News (microhabitats) are now available in the trade. This is the first example I know The Shortest of Them All of a “fancy” variety of goby being traded - probably few have The Periophthalmus Species, Part 2 been bred because gobies are not highly sought after and are usually difficult to breed. If any readers are aware of other (P. argentilineatus) artificial forms I would be very interested to hear of them! Goby Tanks (Australian natives) Naomi Delventhal 14 November 2003 22 3 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 Goby Queries When fish were experimentally widowed, they would remate very quickly, but usually their new mates were slightly Mystery Gobies, Goby Books smaller than their original mates. Often the new mates had Q. I bought the goby in picture #1 for my mom about 6 been previously mated but abandoned their own former mates which were smaller or had just spawned. months ago. He is sort of goldish-cream color with varying shades of brown markings. He does spend a lot of time on the The researchers discovered that females with larger mates tank bottom, but spend on average less time burrowing and more time feeding. lately, as he has Apparently females benefit by having large mates, since large grown to a whop- males can burrow more efficiently than smaller ones. So it ping 1 1/4 inch, he would be advantageous for females to guard their large mates has been hopping from other females. around from leaf to leaf and spending a Males are able to defend their mates against most intruders. lot of time living Larger females are also preferred by males, presumably on plants. He because of their greater fecundity. Nearby females often doesn't seem to eat spawn simultaneously, which discourages desertion by males. them and is more inclined to dine on live blackworms, live brineshrimp, and frozen bloodworms and brineshrimp. A closely related goby species, Amblygobius phalaena, has a Hopefully you guys have a clue as to what kind of goby he is. different mating system. In this species one large male Any info on him would be welcome as he is a favorite guy. maintains a burrow around a coral head with multiple females living nearby. Unlike female V. strigata, these females do The 2nd drawing is of a "red goby" (this is what the fish store not compete for mates. Because burrow substrate and called them) and the red goby's mate. I was told these guys available males are limited, this species does not exhibit are algae eaters - which they very actively are - however they monogamy. also enjoy live blackworms, brineshrimp, sinking carnivore wafers and algae wafers. I've also seen them eating scraps of For more information see: "sheet" seaweed. They don't seem particularly social with each other, but they also don't fight or chase each other away. Reavis, R.H. and G.W. Barlow. 1998. Why is the coral-reef They are also diggers, but tend to dive into the substrate head- fish Valenciennea strigata (Gobiidae) monogamous? Behav. first, instead of grabbing mouthfuls of gravel and spitting it Ecol. Sociobiol. 43: 229-237. out like my white cheek goby. I was told these guys would grow to about 4 inches in length. The male has mahogany red 4 21 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 JIGS Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2003 Goby News fins when he feels the urge to be colorful - otherwise Monogamy in Gobies they are fairly clear. He has a whitish area Aquarists and divers have long observed that certain species under his chin, which of gobies form long term pair bonds. Well-known examples goes completely include Signigobius biocellatus, the twinspot or crabeye goby, white under his belly. and Valenciennea strigata, popularly known has the yellow He is a medium to headed or blue banded goby. In nature, V. strigata live in light grey with pairs. Each pair maintains a territory that contains darker brownish (taupe) stripes.