Rhinogobius Red-Cheek Goby

The Rhinogobius Red-Cheek Goby is a trade name applied to one or more Rhinogobius species or undescribed forms characterised by their particularly vivid red to orange-red cheek and throat colouration in mature males, combined with rows of orange-red spots along the flanks on a warm brown body. Collected primarily from cool, clear streams in southern China, Taiwan, or Japan, it shares the typical Rhinogobius ecology of benthic predation among gravel and pebble substrates in riffle and run habitats. In the aquarium it is a lively, personable fish that readily learns to associate its keeper with feeding time. It prefers cool, well-oxygenated water and becomes sluggish in tropical setups. Males will engage in mild territorial disputes with fin-flaring and colour intensification but seldom cause injury to each other. It is a cave spawner and has been bred in captivity.

Water: 18–24 °C, pH 7.0–7.8, GH 5–15, KH 3–10; cool and well-oxygenated; moderate to strong flow. Tank: 60 L minimum; smooth pebble substrate with flat stone caves; avoid warm-water setups above 24 °C. Feeding: Carnivore; frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia, and small sinking pellets; feeds eagerly. Breeding: Cave spawner under flat stones or in pipes; male guards eggs; amphidromous larvae rarely raised. Compatibility: Peaceful; keep with cool-water schooling fish; males mildly territorial toward each other.