Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)

Engineer Gobies go by a few names, including Convict Goby and Convict Blenny. This adds to the confusion in identifying these amazing fish because there is another fish that also goes by the name Convict Blenny, Priolepis nocturna. And this fish actually happens to be a true Goby.

Engineer Gobies are actually members of their own family, Pholidichthyidae. And interestingly enough, they are closely related to the almost entirely freshwater Cichlidae family, which includes Angelfish, Oscars, and other popular aquarium fish!

Like most Cichlids, Engineer Gobies are carnivores that feed on anything small enough to be overpowered and eaten. While they are peaceful they are a threat to smaller tank mates, especially small, thin fish.

And like Cichlids, Engineer Gobies are sociable and slightly territorial. They rarely squabble among themselves, however. Groups of Engineer Gobies form colonies of dozens or even hundreds of individuals in the wild that work together to form interconnecting tunnels many meters long.

This constant construction habit is what gives the Engineer Goby their most common name. These fish simply aren’t comfortable unless they have structures to burrow under. When young they are a solid black with a silvery white stripe. They look quite a bit like the mildly venomous Coral Catfish (Phetusus angularis).

As they age the horizontal stripes meld into blotches and finally vertical bars and the Engineer Gobies spend less time swimming exposed.

Care Requirements: A minimum 55 gallon aquarium is ideal to house a pair or small group of juvenile Engineer gobies; a larger group, or more mature individuals, will require more space.