Not all Fire and Brimstone after all: the Dragon Goby
With its prominent teeth, wide mouth, and long body length, one could easily take the Dragon Goby for being a predator of small fish. Make no mistake though, Dragon Gobies wouldn’t hurt a fly (or a fry) and are good additions to peaceful (brackish) communities.
Species
Gobies (Family Gobiidae) is the second largest Family of fish behind the Minnows (Family Cyprinidae). The Genus Gobioides contains five species, one of which is native to North America:
- Gobioides broussonnettii (Dragon Goby/Violet Goby) [pictured]
Okay, technically the Peruvian Eelgoby (G. peruanus) is also found in Mexico, but it’s found so far south that it’s more a Central-to-South American fish than a North American one. But I’m mentioning it for completeness’ sake.
The Dragon Goby is among the most widely sold of all Goby species. Finding one for sale should not prove too difficult.
Conservation Status
To date, the Violet Goby has not been evaluated by the IUCN.
Distribution
The Dragon Goby can be found wild from the Eastern Coast of the US as far south as Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In the US, they can be caught off the coast of South Carolina down to Florida and along the Gulf Coast from Western Florida to Central Texas.
Description
The largest recorded size of a Dragon Goby is just under 22 inches long, though 10-15 inches is a more common adult length. Anecdotal evidence suggests that they may be able to grow up to 30 inches.
Dragon Gobies are not terribly active fish and are generally happy loafing about unless feeding or arguing with other Dragon Gobies. They are territorial fish with their own kind, though arguments are not likely to result in damage to either fish. Provided you have a large enough tank with several burrows, multiple Dragon Gobies can be kept in the same tank with minimal concerns.
They do not typically bother other dissimilar fish in the tank, and Native Livebearers and Pupfish make good tankmates. Despite their large mouths, they can be kept with much smaller fish without problem (and are not likely to prey on even something as small as Molly fry). Pushy or nippy fish like Texas Cichlids and Pufferfish should be avoided as the Gobies are easy targets for aggression.
The tank should have sand as a substrate (rounded, calcareous material is best) that they can burrow into. They will also accept pre-made tunnels out of material like PVC pipes. Like many eel-shaped fish, Dragon Gobies are very prone to jumping out of tanks when they feel
like it, so tanks with lots of cover (as well as a sturdy cover!) will
help keep them in the tank and feeling secure. These fish are basically blind and do not appreciate bright lights. Brackish plants are difficult to come by, so a non-planted tank with dim lights is best.
Feeding
Dragon Gobies will eat smaller frozen and live foods. Frozen Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, and Bloodworms all work, as do live foods like Daphnia and Blackworms. A significant portion of their diet in the wild comes from grazing on algae and they may eventually accept algae wafers or other prepared foods.
Feeding is one of the more difficult aspects of keeping Dragon Gobies. They are painfully slow feeders and simply do not compete with other fish for foods. Even at the best of times, they may not see or sense food that is right in front of them. If kept in a tank by themselves, they will eventually find food that is provided to them, but if kept with any tankmates they will need some help. A turkey baster is an efficient way of getting food right into/next to the Goby’s mouth. They still may not get the concept of feeding time right away though. I highly recommend getting a Goby first and get it feeding from a baster prior to adding other fish (which typically are stronger/faster feeders from the get-go). Mine eventually learned to eat from my hands.
Water Quality
Like most brackish fish, Dragon Gobies are very flexible in terms of water quality. As long as the water is hard (over 12 dH) and alkaline (pH 7.5+), then you have a happy Goby. These fish are Tropical and something around 72 to 77 F works well. They benefit from being added to established aquariums with sources of algae in the tank.
Brackish Suitability
Brackish suitability is a bit of an understatement. In the wild, they are found in water ranging from 1.000 (pure freshwater) to 1.019 (about 75% saltwater), but within the confines of an aquarium they are best kept somewhere between 1.005-1.010. If kept in freshwater for too long, Dragon Gobies tend to develop skin maladies though they may live for a year or so in freshwater. This is much shorter than the 5 years this species is supposed to live, however.
Tank Size
Though they are large fish, they are relatively inactive. For a single specimen, a 55 gallon tank will suffice. If wanting to add more Dragon Gobies, an additional 40-50 gallons per Goby should be sufficient (as long as there are enough caves to lessen territorial disputes).
Breeding
Breeding is rarely documented, but has been accomplished in home aquariums. A harem-type set up seems to work best (1 male and 3 or more
females) and can be triggered
by feeding live foods and then lowering and subsequently raising the
specific gravity. If attempting to breed, keep several suitable caves
for the fish to retreat to if needed.
The male guards the nest and 3 to 4 days later the eggs hatch. At this point, the fry should be removed and raised in their own aquarium where they can feed on microfoods like green water and infusoria (after the yolks have been consumed, of course).
Final Thoughts
Dragon Gobies are not extremely easy fish by any definition. They are hardy fish, but the difficulty in keeping them fed in a community tank can be problematic. If you can make sure they get enough food, they are lovely, peaceful fish which happily live alongside many of our Native Brackish fish.
Sources
There’s a Dragon in My Tank!, Jeni C. Tyrell
Fresh to Brackish Water Gobioides, Bob Fenner
Gobioides broussonnetii (Violet Goby), Seriously Fish
Violet Goby/Dragon Goby, Thebrackishtank
(Image Source: Me!)
