Breeding Tateurndina ocellicauda

By Don Maloney
From Wet Pet Gazette, Norwalk Aquarium Society. August 1999
Aquarticles

Commonly known as the Peacock Goby, Rainbow Gudgeon or Eye-Spot Sleeper, Tateurndina ocellicauda is a small, beautiful fish that comes to us from the low-land rivers and ponds of New Guinea, east of Papua. This fish is not a member of the family Gobiidae, but rather a member of the family Eleotridae or “Sleeper Gobies” whose members include the Flat Head Sleeper, the Empire and Snakehead Gudgeons. The Bumble Bee Goby, Dragon Fish and Mudskipper(!) are true Gobies from the family Gobiidae. Representatives of Eleotridae and Gobiidae can be best distinguished by the pelvic fins. In Eleotridae the pelvic fins are always separate; in Gobiidae they are more or less fused. As a group, Sleeper Gobies have received few accolades from the hobby. The most logical explanation why they haven’t made much of an impression is that most of the freshwater species of this group lack color that would otherwise attract the average hobbyist. However, there is an exception to the rule. Frequently referred to as an “odd ball” T. ocellicauda is actually one of the most colorful fish available to the fresh water aquarium hobbyist today. They are also very peaceful and quite fascinating. They possess a fry rearing behavior not common in the hobby and they can be breed in captivity albeit, challenging.

T. ocellicauda exhibit distinct sexual dimorphism and chroma-dimorphism. Mature males are larger and have a noticeably larger head including what appears to be a cephalic hump and a strong jaw line. Females, when carrying roe, are noticeably fatter in the midsection and lack the bulbous head in favor of a more streamlined version. Males grow to 6-7 cm and females to 4-5 cm. The overall coloration of both sexes is a sky blue with bright red vertical bars that run down the length of the body that are somewhat broken or perhaps checkered. The males' and females' unpaired fins have a yellow streak down the length on top. The Males' unpaired fins show more red rays on a blue background. Females exhibit a more defined yellow streak in their fins than the males. Females will also show a pale yellow on their belly. Of course, both sexes exhibit the dark almost black singular spot at the base of the caudal peduncle. The pattern and color of this fish remind me of a particular group of Aphyosemion Killifish. Fin size and shape are almost identical.

They are very peaceful toward each other except during spawning, of course, when the male can become a little “pushy” towards the female in his sights and “bullish” to any other fish. But I’ve never witnessed injury as a result of their aggression. I’ve kept them in a species tank most of the time, except for the time I couldn’t resist the beauty and price of a pair of Iriatherina werneri Rainbowfish. The Gudgeons were sexually mature when the Rainbowfish were introduced. As a matter of fact the Gudgeons had already spawned. Had I not removed the fry I believe the Rainbowfish would have devoured the free swimming Gudgeon fry. Anyway, the Rainbowfish occupied the upper half and Gudgeons the lower half of the tank. The only time I feared for the delicate Rainbowfish was at feeding time when the food sank down with the Rainbowfish in pursuit and the Gudgeons coming up fast to get it. With jaws chomping a Gudgeon could easily crush the delicate mouth of this type of Rainbowfish or remove a fair portion of tail section. This never happened. I think its safe to say that based on their inability to really swim well and their seemingly docile nature they are peaceful community fish that inhabit the bottom half of the tank.

When it comes to maintaining their diet they are not overly finicky. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a dry flake food they will eat. They prefer live brine shrimp, Tubifex, Daphnia and mosquito larvae. They will gluttonously consume chopped frozen bloodworms and thawed whole brine shrimp. Luckily, for the would-be breeder, the fry can take live artemia larvae and they will continue to feed on it all the way to adulthood. However, as they reach adult size they seem to mostly ignore such small fare and would rather dine on larger chunks. Like any species, proper diet and conditioning is a must if you intend to breed them.

Being placed in a standard all glass 10 gallon tank the six sub-adults quickly settled in. The tank is furnished with a Java fern and moss clumps, four small (2” and 3”) flower pots placed upside down so the drainage hole is the only opening, and a coconut shell half with a small “V” cut for access. For sanitary purposes I choose not to use much more than a handful of fine gravel. Water changes of 30 to 50% are performed weekly. The tap water used is used treated with Novaqua at water change time to remove chlorine. The water is just shy of neutral at 6.8 pH and moderate hardness, and is kept at 74-76f. Because I chose to use live plants adequate lighting became necessary. The light cycle was set at 12 hours for this tank and the room is lit for 14 to 18 hours.

The fish prefer to spawn inside the cramped quarters of the small flower pot, The male will circle around “his” cave when a female comes close. He will flutter his fins on the front side of her, nudging her towards the opening of the cave. If the female accepts his invitation she will enter the cave. Now, sometimes the male will enter and come out again. I don’t know why he just doesn’t stay inside. Usually he looks in and seems to be waiting for her to lay most or all of the eggs before fertilizing them. Once spawning is over and the large glassy transparent eggs are hanging securely from the roof of the cramped cave the female is quickly chased out by the male! Yes. The male assumes all responsibility from this point on until the fry hatch out. This is a common behavioral trait among Sleeper and true Gobies. The male really takes his job seriously, he can be seen pressing himself deep into the egg mass thus insuring a sufficient flow of oxygen.

Please note the following paragraph discusses the most difficult phase of breeding this fish and there may be other successful methods of handling the post spawn eggs:

If fry rearing is hoped for, the removal of the eggs or parents (all fish!) from the tank is mandatory, but not before they have developed somewhat. The trick is to closely monitor the fish for breeding activity. Once the fry have hatched (24-48hrs) remove them to an established 2 ?to 5 gallon tank that contains the same water, and increase temperature to 78f,  with a mature foam filter. At any time, predation by the female and eventually all other fish in the tank is very real. The male who was so protective days earlier will no longer recognize his brood. If you remove them too soon the chance of fungusing is increased. How to remove the pot: remove the flowerpot by grasping it with thumb, middle and ring fingers while the index finger seals the pot’s drainage hole. Gently invert the pot so the top of the pot is facing the surface of the water. Lift the pot water and fry completely out of the tank right side up and place the pot in the new tank right side up. Providing a gentle stream of air bubbles inside the pot will increase the flow of oxygen over the eggs while hopefully reducing losses due to fungus. If you choose to leave everything to nature I suggest floating plants with long roots for the fry to hide in. Within a few days the fry can outswim their parents.

Once the fry are free swimming their care doesn’t pose many problems outside of a clean tank and adequate food supply and shelter. I use a Java fern with Java moss in its roots as shelter. The plants also contain infusoria as a first food source. Initially, the fry will occupy the upper portion of the tank and will settle to the bottom as they grow. They start out shy and elusive but eventually will greet you at the front of the tank, expecting to get fed of course. As mentioned earlier, the fry will easily take newly hatched artemia larvae so feeding the young is easy. The fry grow slowly - at four months they are 1?to 2 cm long. Like the eggs from which they were hatched the fry are very transparent. The first sign of color is the reason for their namesake. The single dark spot at the base of the caudal fin is visible at 1-2 months. At three months they are fully developed miniatures of the adults. At four months old they are no longer transparent and have just a hint of yellow on the body and are not yet sexable.

Keeping and breeding T. ocellicauda has been a worthwhile experience. Their behavior has fascinated and challenged me more than many other fish I’ve kept. I know that one day soon I will give these fish to other aquarists who wish to challenge their skill. As I pore through the magazines and reference books in search of another interesting goby, I will never forget Tateurndina ocellicauda.

Ref. Cited

W.J.Skillcorn / M.Clark (1984) Breeding and Rearing of the Peacock Gudgeon (Goby), Aquarist and Pondkeeper magazine 12/1984.

Baensch Aquarium Atlas 2, 4th English edition (1994)

Tateurndina ocellicauda, The Peacock Gudgeon

By Ed Katuska
From Wet Pet Gazette,Norwalk Aquarium Society
Aquarticles

Introduction

From the shores to the misty covered mountaintops, the island of New Guinea is one of our last natural wonders. The island is home to some of the most beautiful and unusual animals on earth including the magnificent Peacock Gudgeon, Tateurndina ocellicauda. With the threat of head-hunting aborigine tribesmen in conjunction with the rough terrain, most of the animals of New Guinea, which have survived unseen by modern man for centuries, have only been studied since the 1950's. With the island fauna housing such gorgeous creatures as tree kangaroos, unusual possums and birds of paradise, it's not surprising that the waters are abundant with some of the most unique and colorful species of fish available in the aquarium hobby today.

Aquarium History

The Peacock Gudgeon was first discovered in 1953. They were officially described in 1955 by John T. Nichols of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. A 1982 collecting trip by Melbourne hobbyist, Barry Crockford introduced them into the Australian hobby. Later that same year Heiko Bleher of Frankfurt Germany introduced wild caught specimens to European aquarists.

Habitat

In nature the gudgeons are found in lowland, slow moving rain forest streams and ponds in or near the small towns of Safia and Popondetta in eastern Pompau.

In captivity a ten to twenty gallon tank seems to work well. If you plan on having more than one pair in the same enclosure I would opt for the larger tank. This will allow some extra needed space for males that can be somewhat aggressive towards others during spawning. A dimly lit-planted tank seems to give the fish a comfortable atmosphere. Temperatures can range from 76 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit; pH 7.0 to 7.4 and 80-ppm total hardness. As with most of my fish a twenty- percent water change was done on a weekly basis. Sponge filters seem to provide adequate filtration for the small gobies.

Characteristics

Tateurndina ocellicauda, also called the one-eyed sleeper, are a small fish in size with the males growing 6 to 7 cm. ( 2.5 inches) and the females slightly smaller averaging a size of 4 to 5 cm.(2.25 inches). Although small in overall size Peacock Gudgeons have larger than life coloration. Rightfully earning their peacock name, the body is light to medium blue in color with bright red vertical markings throughout with a large black dot in the caudal peduncle region. The fins are a bright yellow with the edge of the anal fin being black in the female.

There is a definite dimorphism between the sexes. As mentioned, the male not only grows larger in body size but also has a much larger head than the female with a cephalic hump similar to that of mature cichlids. The female, being smaller and more streamline in body shape, sports a bright yellow coloration in the abdominal region.

Peacock Gudgeons are members of the Eleotridae or "Sleeper Goby" family. One characteristic that all Eleotridaes share is separate pelvic fins. Like all other goby like species, gudgeons prefer inhabiting the bottom region of the tank. Most other Eleotridae family members are brownish with little or no other color markings making the colorful T. ocellicauda a more so popular aquarium inhabitant than other related species.

Diet Requirements

Frozen or live foods seem to be the meal of choice. I have not had much success feeding dry conventional foods such as flake or pellets. Earthworm flakes and crushed krill will be eaten but not with the enthusiasm as available frozen or live choices like brine shrimp, bloodworms and mosquito larvae. Chopped black worms and small fruit flies will also work out well. Their natural diet consists of insects, insect larvae and small crustaceans. The gudgeons do not eat anything vegetable based. Although the choices for small frozen foods available are limited try to vary the diet the best you can. I feed twice daily and all the above foods are eagerly accepted.

Breeding

Sexing the Peacock Gudgeon is quite easy as mentioned above. Good diet and tank maintenance will assist in successfully spawning the gobys. This species prefers to spawn in very small areas. With this in mind I placed several items around the tank in different areas. Flowerpots, homemade spawning caves and pvc pipe was used. The gudgeons preferred a small piece of half-inch pvc pipe to reproduce. This worked out good for me because one half of the pipe was exposed to the glass side of the tank making it easy to see when the eggs were laid.

When the male has chosen the spawning site he will circle around and nudge the female into the cave. If she is responsive she will enter the cave a start to lay her eggs on the roof of the dwelling. The male will stay in with her to fertilize the eggs and come out occasionally to have a look around, probably to check for predators. When the female has exhausted her egg supply she will be chased out and the male will then stay and tend to the eggs. The males do a good job at guarding the spawn constantly fanning them to supply good aeration and eliminating unfertilized eggs. It has been reported that the gudgeons could lay up to about two hundred eggs during one spawn. In my experience I have only had 50 to 60 at one time. The eggs are adhesive and will stay on the roof of the cave until they are about ready to hatch. As they start to come down it is important to remove them and put them in a rearing tank or they are sure to be eaten by the others. By using a small piece of piping removal is easy at this stage. Securely cover each side with thumb and forefinger and slowly remove from the tank. I use a five-gallon tank and water from the breeding tank along with a good seasoned sponge filter. The eggs start to hatch in about 48 hours and the fry quickly become free swimming. Removing the fry is must if you want a successful spawn. Once they are swimming about, the others, including the guardian male will readily devour the young.

The rearing tank I use has a bare bottom and plenty of Java moss to keep the hatchlings comfortable. When the eggs first hatch they are very small in size, almost sliver like. Green water and microworms make good first foods. Infusoria from the plants in the tank will also serve well as a food supply. After a week or so newly hatched brine will be accepted. It is important to keep the water conditions good in the rearing tank. The fry are not tolerant of bad water quality so small water changes are essential. The fry grow very slowly and stay transparent for about three months before coloration starts to appear.

Diseases

Fortunately for the hobbyist and especially the Peacock Gudgeons they seem to be somewhat resistant to disease and parasitic infestation compared to some other fish if diet and water requirements are managed. As I asked other hobbyist and breeders of their experiences with associated illnesses there seemed to be no complaints as far as the adults were concerned. Some have mentioned the loss of fry but have no explanation of what the cause may have been contributed to. All in all they seem to be a pretty resilient little fish.

Conclusion

The T. ocellicauda are one of the most beautiful fish I have ever raised. Stunning coloration combined with the peaceful nature makes this species perfect for all hobbyist. Smaller rainbowfish such as the M. praecox for example would make a good candidate for a community tank companion. Raising and breeding the Peacock Gudgeon has been and enjoyable and worthwhile experience. I wonder what other treasures await us from the mystical isle of New Guinea.

References

Baensch Aquarium Atlas II (1994)

Freshwater Fishes of Australia- Dr. Gerald Allen (1989)

Breeding Tateurndina ocellicauda "The Peacock Gudgeon"

By Don Barbour
From Wet Pet Gazette,Norwalk Aquarium Society
Aquarticles

The island of New Guinea is one of our last natural wonders. This island is home to some of the most unique and colorful fish available in aquarium hobby today. The Peacock Gudgeon was first discovered in 1953 and described in 1955 by John Nichols of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. A collecting trip by Melbourne hobbyist Barry Crockford in 1982 brought these fish to the Australian hobby. Later that year Heiko Bleher brought wild caught specimens to European aquarists. The gudgeons are found in lowland and slow moving water.

The peacocks are a small fish with the males growing to about 6 to 7 cm, 2.5 inches and females a little smaller. The males have a sloping head, almost like a Buffalo, while the female is a bit more robust with a more elongated head shape.

Peacock Gudgeons have great coloration. The males body is light to medium blue in color with bright red vertical markings throughout with a large black dot in the caudal peduncle region . The fins are bright yellow and the edge of the anal fin being black in the female. A truly spectacular looking fish!

I bought six fish at an auction and got them home, put them in a fifteen-gallon tank with fifty percent rainwater. I changed fifty percent of the water every week. The temperature was between 78 to 80 degrees.

The tank was set up with lots of caves and Java moss and I used a sponge filter. I fed them live brine shrimp in the morning and bloodworms at night. After several weeks the males started staking out their own territory. Soon after, they started fighting over the females so I took out the less dominate males and hoped that the dominant male would spawn.

I never saw any fry but my best friend was over and checked my tanks and told me I had Gudgeon fry, and I said "where?" So he pointed them out to me, "look at the top of the tank" he said, I did and saw only little black specs and he told me those were the fry. I guess I am blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. I could not believe how small they were. He told me to take them out and put them in their own tank and I said "tomorrow". Well, when tomorrow came I saw no fry! and boy was I mad. My friend told me next time I see the male in a cave take out all the other fish and wait to see fry. Oh, one other important fact. When they spawn the male takes care of the eggs. He never leaves them, not even to eat. Basically when you don't see the male anymore you can assume two things, either he's dead or fanning the eggs. They like to spawn in very tight holes or crevices, mine preferred underneath a broken piece of a flowerpot. When I finally saw fry I called my friend and he said to take out the male because sometimes he will eat the fry. Not to loose them again I followed his suggestion. I fed the fry two times a day. I did twenty five percent water change every three days slowly bringing the water up to tap water perimeter (neutral). The fish should be ready to spawn at about 2 inches in length. With good care it takes approximately 7-9 months for the fry to reach sexual maturity.

For anyone looking for a challenge I highly recommend you give the Peacock Gudgeon a try.