Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys Leucotaenia)

Care Level : Moderate

Temperament : Peaceful

Color : Black, Blue, White

Diet : Carnivore

Reef Compatible : Yes

Water Conditions ; sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4

Max. Size : 1’

Origin : Indo-Pacific

Family : Pholidichthyidae

Minimum Tank Size : 55 gallons

Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys Leucotaenia) go by a few names, including Convict Goby and Convict Blenny. A constant habit of building is what gave the Engineer Goby its most common name.

Gobies are an excellent addition to reef aquariums as they have a small adult size and a lot of personality. The Engineer Goby is a very unique fish. Their body markings will change throughout their life. When young they are a solid black with a silvery white stripe. As they age the horizontal stripes meld into blotches and finally vertical bars and the Engineer Gobies spend less time swimming exposed.

It should be kept in a 55 gallon or larger tank with a sandy bottom. They absolutely love burrowing and redecorating the aquarium and will spend much of their time doing so. When aquascaping your aquarium be sure to add the rock structure before the sand. This ensures all of the rocks are stable on the bottom of the tank. These fish simply aren’t comfortable unless they have structures to burrow under.  Also, although the engineer goby is reef friendly, it will spray any corals close to the bottom of the tank with substrate and even bury them.This goby is likewise a known jumper, so a securely fitting lid is advised.

It needs peaceful tank mates and plenty of hiding places. Small groups or pairs tend to do better in an aquarium, but need to be introduced simultaneously to the tank. Although the engineer goby is generally considered peaceful and not prone to getting into brawls, adult specimens might become rather protective of their burrows. Additionally, you’ll have to keep in mind that despite their peaceful nature these are still predators. 

The Engineer Goby has been known to spawn successfully in an aquarium setting. It’s not possible to visually sex these fish, so if you’re interested in breeding you’ll have to get a group and hope there’s at least one pair in there.

These fish are carnivorous and require a meaty diet; luckily they’ll gladly gobble up pretty much anything you present them with. Its diet should consist of a variety of fresh or frozen seafood, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. It should be fed at least twice per day.

Size: Small 1-1/4" to 2" Medium 2" to 3 1/4" Large 3 1/4" to 4 1/2"