Fun Neon Goby Facts For Kids

The neon goby (Elacatinus oceanops) is a saltwater fish. These fish are members of the Gobiidae family. They are hardy and peaceful marine fish species that are readily available for breeding.

These fish are usually found in mated pairs and live in a coral reef in the wild. They can also live in reef tanks. Their minimum tank size should be 10 gal (38 l).

This fish is known for its gorgeous bright blue lines that start from the eyes and run across the length of its body. It is very small and makes a great addition to reef aquariums. Make sure you keep it as a pair of mates though.

Here, we have many amazing and interesting facts about the neon goby that you will enjoy. Let's take a look at these facts and information, and if you enjoy these then, do read our articles on the requiem shark and the lake whitefish.

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Neon Goby Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a neon goby?

The neon goby (Elacatinus oceanops) is a species of marine fish.

What class of animal does a neon goby belong to?

This goby belongs to the Actinopterygii class of animals; it is a fish species.

How many neon goby are there in the world?

The total number of neon gobies is unknown as they are found in the wild and are kept in an aquarium and a tank. Their population is stable as they are classified as a Least Concern species.

Where does a neon goby live?

Neon gobies are saltwater fish commonly found in the Western Atlantic region. In an aquarium, they prefer to live in live rock or substrate.

What is a neon goby habitat?

Neon gobies are a species of marine fish found in saltwater, mainly in a coral reef. They are found in the tropical western Atlantic, Florida, Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. They are also kept as pets in an aquarium or a tank. They prefer a substrate or live rock as their territory.

Who does a neon goby live with?

It is monogamous and is found as a mated pair. This means the male and female tend to live in pairs for life and also breed in pairs and do not mate with other fish. Instead, they live in a pair and mate with a single mate only.

How long does a neon goby live?

The neon goby (Elacatinus oceanops) has a short life span. Generally, it lives only for two years in the wild. However, it might live for more than two years in captivity if you take good care of it.

How do they reproduce?

These gobies are excellent breeders and are known to breed in aquariums or tanks too. They are generally found as a mated pair and mate with a single partner for life. The male and the female perform the breeding together.

They can be bred easily. They just require adequate space, proper water quality, and a proper diet. They usually lay eggs in crevices or small caves in the aquarium.

They can lay as many as 500-600 eggs during the breeding season, but on average, they lay 250 eggs in a single spawn.

What is their conservation status?

This fish has the conservation status of Least Concern. It has a stable population and is often kept as a pet in a tank by people. Therefore, they do not face any threat of danger.

Neon Goby Fun Facts

What do neon gobies look like?

These are small fish, and their body is in a shape of a torpedo. The blue stripe runs on its sides, from the nose to the caudal fin. Their body is dark brown and black-colored.

Their dorsal fin is split into two, posterior and anterior fin. While the posterior fin is rounded, the anterior fin is flat. The pectoral fins are circular and transparent, and the anal fin is flat like the anterior fin.

How cute are they?

Neon gobies are cute fish. They live in saltwater but are often kept in a marine aquarium as a pet. People love their attractive blue stripe, and they are friendly too. People keep them as pets in a tank at their homes.

How do they communicate?

The method used by neon blue goby to communicate with each other is unknown. However, we might assume that they use vibrations like other fish species to communicate with each other.

How big is a neon goby?

The neon blue goby is around 0.98-2 in (2.5-5 cm) in length. It is a small saltwater fish found in the Gulf of Mexico. It feeds on really small parasites. Therefore, it does not require plenty of space and can be kept in small tanks.

How fast can a neon goby swim?

Neon gobies are calm swimmers. They do not swim very fast and usually roam freely in their tank. Also, they do not swim very far from their station. Therefore, their exact swimming speed is not known.

How much does a weigh?

There is no information available about their weight.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and the female do not have any separate names for their species. They are very similar in appearance, and you cannot distinguish them easily. You can only tell the difference by looking at their genital papillae underneath their body. The female's genital papilla is rounded, while the male's pointed.

What would you call a baby neon goby?

Baby neon blue gobies do not have a specific name. However, they can be called juveniles like other baby fish. Neon gobies lay around 500-600 eggs and can be bred easily in a reef tank.

What do they eat?

This fish is known to be a carnivore, and its diet includes foods like parasites and various species of shrimps. Their foods consist of frozen items such as frozen brine shrimp, table shrimp, and others.

They are also known as cleaner goby as they clean and feed on foods like parasites found on other larger fish. They even search for foods inside the mouth of larger fish.

When keeping it as a pet in a tank, it should be fed once a day. They require adequate feeding and a proper diet to perform breeding.

Are they poisonous?

Like many other species of gobies – such as the round goby – neon blue gobies are not poisonous. They are harmless to humans, and that is why they are kept as a pet by many people.

Would they make a good pet?

They are very calm and non-aggressive fish. They are hardy and peaceful and are often kept as a pet in a marine aquarium or in a normal fish tank.

They require a minimum tank size of 10 gal (38 l) and should be provided adequate food and clean water. However, their main food is parasites found on other fish, so they feed on it too. They establish a cleaning station in the aquarium to feed on parasites found on other fish.

You should also keep a check on the temperature of the aquarium. The adequate temperature for their tanks should be 75-82 F (24-28 C).

Did you know...

This fish is not at all aggressive and is readily available for breeding and spawning. They are generally found in a mated pair.

They are often bred and raised in captive tanks.

Some species have yellow-colored stripes instead of blue. Elacatinus evelynae is one of these species. It is a small fish about 1.6 in (4 cm) in length and has yellow stripes over its body.

Many people think that their foods include ectoparasites to feed on marine ich too, but this is not true. Ich is deep beneath the skin of fish, so they cannot eat it.

Photocorynus spinicep, a species of anglerfish, is the smallest fish in the world that is only about 0.25-0.3 in (6.2–7.3 mm) long.

Can you have two gobies in a tank?

Yes, you can keep two gobies in a tank or aquarium. They are members of the Gobiidae family who are often found together. They can spawn easily in captivity are available for spawning at any time.

What is the smartest fish in the world?

Manta rays are the smartest fish found in the ocean. They have the biggest brain of all fish. They are found in North Carolina and New Zealand.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our black grouper facts and silky shark facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable neon goby coloring pages.