The Prehistoric Dragon Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)

The evocatively named Prehistoric Dragon Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii), also widely known as the Violet Goby, has a face that only a mother could love. This beady-eyed bottom-dweller is a common species in the estuaries of the West Atlantic and can be found everywhere from Florida down to Brazil; but, due to some special requirements it has, this can be quite a difficult fish to add to a home aquarium.

Since it naturally occurs in slightly saline habitats, the longterm husbandry of this species generally requires a brackish aquarium. Sand is an ideal substrate, which will help replicate the soft muddy substrates it would find in nature. It is reported to feed by sifting through the bottom sediments for edible morsels, as well as scraping rocks for bits of algae, detritus and invertebrates. In captivity, Gobioides will learn to accept a wide range of foods, including frozen worms and algae wafers, but, in a heavily stocked aquarium with active tankmates, it is surprisingly easy for this rather retiring and nearly blind creature to be completely outcompeted for food. A good solution for this is to offer some food after the lights have been turned off and this fish becomes more active.

Since it can grow to well over a foot in length, moderately large accommodations are necessary. In a brackish water set-up, tankmates could include guppies and mollies, scats, bumblebee gobies. If kept at a specific gravity closer to 1.014, near the species’ upper tolerance, it could perhaps be successfully mixed with some fully marine groups like damselfishes. Despite its fearsome appearance and bulky dimensions, Gobioides is said to be remarkably peaceful and loathe to harm even the smallest of fishes. If you can meet the demands that this fish has, it can certainly make for an interesting aquarium centerpiece.