This species is normally imported alongside a smaller-growing, near-identical congener currently listed as R. cf. nantaiensis with both traded as R. candidianus.

They can be separated by snout length, which is noticeably longer in R. candidianus, and adult size with R. cf. nantaiensis reaching just 50-55 mm.

R. candidianus can be distinguished from other congeners by a combination of cha…

This species has been in the aquarium trade since 2010 and is sold under several names including ‘Chinese vermilion goby’, ‘Zhou’s scarlet goby’, ‘scarlet goby’, and ‘flame goby’.

It can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: second dorsal-fin rays I, 8-9; anal-fin rays I, 7-8; pectoral-fin rays 16-18; longitudinal scale series 29-31; predorsal scales 10-12; vertebral count 10+16=26.

Not recommended for the standard community set-up for reasons already touched upon. It’s requirements and disposition mean it’s best kept alone or with very peaceful species since much bigger or more vigorous fishes are likely to intimidate and outcompete it.

Some small cyprinids and loaches that inhabit similar environments in nature are compat…

Lake Eyre is a vast endorheic basin within which lies the lowest point in Australia at some 15 m BMSL. It only fills with water occasionally and when it does so forms the country’s largest salt lake.

C. eremius does not occur in the lake itself since no fishes are able to survive there, rather it inhabits isolated freshwater springs, flowing artesian bores (wells), and ephemeral waterholes where it tends to be associated with rocks and other submerged cover.

Apparently restricted to slow-moving or standing freshwater habitats such as marshes, temporal swamps and floodplains where aquatic vegetation and submerged grasses proliferate.

One locality consisted of undisturbed marshland with lightly tannin-stained water and dense growth of Vallisneria spp.

B. xanthozonus can be considered something of an enigma since its name has been widely misapplied in aquarium literature for decades, when in reality it’s probably never been exported for the ornamental trade.

The majority of fish seen labelled as such are either B. doriae or B. sabanus, themselves often misidentified.

Type locality is ’55 miles north of Singapore, freshwater ditches, Mawai District, Johore, Malaysia’, and this species has been recorded throughout much of Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand.

Records from Borneo and Singapore appear to be in error although it may have been extirpated from the latter but as with most members of the genus a degree of confusion surrounds its identity (see ‘Notes’).

B. sabanus is very similar to B. doriae and these two are easily confused. However in B. doriae most of the first-dorsal-fin and two-thirds of the pectoral-fin are black while in B. sabanus the last one or two rays of the first dorsal-fin are colourless and less than half of the pectoral-fin is black.

In addition there are usually smaller dark ‘saddles’ betw…

Type locality is the ‘river below Calcutta’ which corresponds to the western side of the Ganges River delta south of Kolkata, West Bengal state, with reports as to its wider distribution varying significantly.

It’s sometimes said to be present throughout India plus both mainland and maritime southeast Asia, but is more likely restricted to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and possibly Myanmar.

It can be diagnosed as follows: <30 lateral scales; two black body bands reaching ventral midline posterior to anal-fin; band above anal-fin also reaching ventral midline no black band on head, though the first band may touch the posterior margin of the eye; band above anal-fin not reaching ventral midline; 6 branched anal-fin rays; 7-8 predorsal scales. Brachygobius currently contains 9 described species but is likely to prove more diverse should a review be carried out. Alt…