Fun Peacock Gudgeon Facts For Kids

The peacock gudgeon is a peaceful freshwater fish that lives in harmony in its own groups as well as with other fishes. They form a very good option as pet fish both because of their appearance as well as their nature.

Taking care of these fish is also not challenging as they can adapt anywhere very easily. They are a native of the southern hemisphere's Papua New Guinea.

They are found roaming around in tropical waters mainly forming groups or schools. They are also popularly known as peacock goby but recognizing gudgeons as one of the gobies is scientifically incorrect.

They do not have the trademark physical goby resemblance of fused pectoral fins. The peacock gudgeon breeding gives rise to 50-100 individuals per session.

This fish is a personal favorite of many aquarists but they are not too renowned yet. More interesting information about the fish is shared below - reading it will answer all your queries.

For similar content check out the articles on teira batfish and neon tetra facts too.

Peacock Gudgeon Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a peacock gudgeon?

A peacock gudgeon, sometimes known by its scientific name Tateurndina ocellicauda, is a fish of freshwater. This species of fish is endemic or restricted to the eastern part of Papua New Guinea, belongs to the order Gobiiformes, and family Eleotridae. They are the only known member of the genus Tateurndina.

What class of animal does a peacock gudgeon belong to?

The Peacock gudgeon (Tateurndina ocellicauda) belongs to the class Actinopterygii also called the class of bony fishes.

How many peacock gudgeons are there in the world?

Peacock gudgeons are found in the wild, especially in Papua New Guinea's water, as well as in captivity. However, there is no information about their population.

Their population status is unknown as of now, however, the state has decided to conduct a survey of the flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea. The increased human activities have severely affected the wildlife there, in negative ways.

In captivity like in an aquarium or tank, a peacock gudgeon prefers to live in a group. They feel happy and safe with around six to eight tank mates.

Where does a peacock gudgeon live?

The Peacock gudgeon is an endemic species (strictly found in a particular area of distribution) of Papua New Guinea. In the wild, they live in the tropical freshwater creeks and streams extending from the coasts of  Peria Creek, Kwagira River to the escarpment region of Eastern Papua.

They are also found in the streams present in the northeastern part of the Owen Stanley Ranges in Safia and Popendetta. They can adapt in an aquarium or tank too as pet fish and are bred in captivity around the world.

What is a peacock gudgeon's habitat?

Peacock gudgeons in their natural habitat live in shallow freshwater streams, ponds, and rivers. This species of peaceful fish wander, inhabiting the slow waters of Southeast Papua New Guinea islands as well as areas to the east of the island.

They are freshwater fish of tropical rainforest zones and prefer to stay within a range of shallow to surface water. They can play along as good pets in the aquarium as well.

Since they are small and not a big fan of swimming these species of fish do not require much tank space.

The minimum peacock gudgeon tank size is 15 gallons and the water temperature should vary between 72-79 degrees Fahrenheit. They also prefer slightly acidic and soft water so the water quality should be maintained accordingly.

Who do peacock gudgeons live with?

Peacock gudgeons in the wild are found in a group of several fishes known as schools. These fishes swim around in search of food forming schools.

In an aquarium or tank, they find it difficult to survive alone without any of their species.

In an aquarium, a peacock gudgeon needs a fish of its own type to survive, forming a single pair, but they live happily with six to eight fishes as their tank mates. At least having one fish of its kind in the aquarium is however a necessity.

How long does a peacock gudgeon live?

Given an optimum condition for the fish to survive, a peacock gudgeon has the ability to stay alive for a span of four to five years while held captive. Since this fish is found mostly in captivity or in a community tank, peacock gudgeon lifespan in the wild has not been calculated.

How do they reproduce?

Peacock gudgeons sexually mature when they reach 9-12 months. The males choose a cave or crevice as their breeding location and continuously swim around that cave in circular motion displaying their colorful pectoral fins at all the females that pass by.

If the display swim of the male fish fails, it tries to nudge the female fish into the spawning location.

Successful spawning occurs if the female agrees and finally lays 50-100 eggs at the breeding site. The female fish attaches the eggs to the ceiling or walls of the spawning site.

The males of this species are very responsible and manage their time between fertilizing the eggs as well as protecting them from potential threats.

Once the breeding process completely ends and the female fish finishes laying all its eggs, the male fish chases away the female from the spawning site and takes charge of all the eggs.

The male fish keeps on fanning their fins at the eggs so that they get enough oxygen and do not leave the cave even in search of food.

In a community tank, if these species of fish are kept in the group they bond and pair up very easily. In captivity, they are bred in a separate breeding tank.

Once the eggs hatch the male fish should be taken out of the tank or aquarium.

The baby fish grows at a slow pace. Most of the peacock gudgeon bred at present are in captivity.

What is their conservation status?

The species of peacock gudgeons are listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. They are neither considered as threatened nor as endangered anywhere. This fish species also do not have any record in the CITES database. Due to this absence of data, their population estimation has not been possible as of now.

Peacock Gudgeon Fun Facts

What do peacock gudgeons look like?

The Peacock gudgeon is undoubtedly one of the stunners among all the species of freshwater fish. Peacock gudgeons are also lively and social with other fishes of an aquarium.

Their vibrant colors make them a popular choice of many to keep in a tank. The fish flaunts a long and slender body with a round head. The streamlined shape of the body is more defined in females than in males.

The nuchal hump on the forehead of an adult male fish makes its head look rounder. They have a very unique shade of body color.

The body of the fish is silvery-blue in color and the underpart gives off a yellowish hue. Their blueness differs from one fish to the other.

The fins also have a similar color pattern. Red dots are distributed all over the body vertically.

The fish fins have a yellow border and the females have an additional black stripe on the edge of the anal fins. A visually large black spot called the 'eye spot' is present at the start of the tail fin. The males are more colorful and vibrant than the females.

The apparent differences in the males and females of the species of Peacock gudgeon fish prove that they exhibit sexual dimorphism. The males are also larger in size than the females.

How cute are they?

Not only with their beauty, but these fishes have also won the hearts of many with their cuteness. The round small head of the fish with big adorable eyes adds to their cuteness.

Apart from that their friendly, calm and quiet nature is also very attractive. They are considered as one of the most beautiful fish living in the waters of Papua New Guinea.

How do they communicate?

Just like the communication method of other fish in water, peacock gudgeons also communicate with their group using sound, motion, color, smell, or electrical impulses. These methods of communication between all fish help them in navigation, breeding, saving themselves from predators, and other things.

How big is a peacock gudgeon?

The male peacock gudgeons are larger than the females. The peacock gudgeon size reaches 3 in (7 cm) in males. The females reach 2.5  in (6.6 cm). A peacock gudgeon is about half the size of an aquarium-bred goldfish.

How fast can a peacock gudgeon swim?

Peacock gudgeons are generally slow swimmers. They peacefully live in slow water creeks and move with their groups. They tend to jump from the aquarium so the lid must be put on always. The exact speed at which these fishes move in the water is not yet determined.

How much does a peacock gudgeon weigh?

The peacock gudgeons are small fish that live peacefully. They easily fit in a group in aquariums or tanks. However, their exact weight is not measured yet but due to their sleek and slender body, they appear to be light.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males and the females do not have any specific names. All of them are collectively called peacock gudgeons.

What would you call a baby peacock gudgeon?

A baby fish is called a fry. Hence a peacock gudgeon's baby will be called a fry.

What do they eat?

Peacock gudgeons are picky eaters and understanding their diet can be quite difficult. They need interesting food in their diet.

This fish absolutely dislikes flake food and does not consume them. When they live in the wild, a peacock gudgeon's diet includes insects and their larvae, or small crustaceans.

In captivity too, this fish prefers food that imitates the diet that they follow in the wild. They are provided with dry protein-rich food as well as some live food. The live food includes daphnia, small shrimp called cherry shrimp, and bloodworms.

The more the protein content in the body of the fish, the more vibrant will the fish look. Sometimes they feed on their own fry and because of this, the young fishes must be placed in a separate tank.

Are they eaten by humans?

No these fishes are not included in the diet of human beings. Rather, they are a playful and lively member of aquariums and attract humans by their appearance rather than their taste.

Would they make a good pet?

Most of the peacock gudgeon's population is found in captivity. This large number and widespread practice of holding the fish in captivity hints that they might do very well as pet animals and they are very easy to care for.

They are also a species of very peaceful fish that adjusts with other fishes of the tank very easily.

The key requirement that needs to be checked before pouring them into your aquarium is the water quality. If a peacock gudgeon is provided its optimal environment, they form one of the best companions.

Did you know...

In general, a peacock gudgeon is very peaceful in nature and not aggressive at all. They are friendly and adjust nicely with everyone. However, male fish are quite territory-dependent, and for this reason, they require various shelters to be present in aquariums.  

Why is the peacock gudgeon's name confusing?

Sometimes a peacock gudgeon is referred to as a peacock goby but they are not true gobies. Unlike the fishes of the goby family, peacock gudgeons do not have fused pectoral fins.

The typical fused pectoral fins are the trademark of a true goby. So the name peacock goby stands as incorrect and the fish are called peacock gudgeons that belong to the family of Eleotridae.

How does the peacock gudgeon get its name?

The peacock gudgeons have a blurry black spot at the start of their tail fins. This is visible in every fish irrespective of the sexual dimorphism in males and females.

This looks very similar to the black spot present at the same position in peacocks. For this reason, this fish gets the moniker peacock in its name. Also, they have somewhat bluish scales like a peacocks' blue body, accentuating the semblance between the two.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including sawfish, or ladyfish.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our trout coloring pages.