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Encyclopedia / Oddballs & Predators / Bumblebee goby
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Photo by Павлик Лисицын, CC BY · source · credits

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Bumblebee goby

Brachygobius doriae · Bee goby

Territorial little bottom dwellers.

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3.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7–8.5pH ✓
40 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Bumblebee goby only grows to 3.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Bumblebee goby is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Bumblebee goby only grows to 3.5 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

244 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓8–20 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1.5–2 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Territorial little bottom dwellers.

Food

Frozen foods only.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature females are rounder, especially when full of eggs; males take on a reddish tinge in spawning condition.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate

Cave spawner: eggs are laid inside a small cave and the male guards and tends them.

Pairing

Group.

Setup

Brackish tank with caves.

What starts it

Warm water and brackish conditions.

Eggs

About 100-200 eggs per spawn, laid in a cave; incubation takes 7-9 days and fry are free-swimming (pelagic) for the first few weeks.

Raising the fry

Infusoria.

Common mistakes
  • Fresh only
  • Poor food
  • Aggression
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionBorneo and nearby Southeast Asia
Rivers and lakesCoastal rivers and estuaries of Borneo
HabitatMangroves, estuaries and coastal swamps
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
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The story of the bumblebee goby

Lives in both fresh and brackish lowland coastal waters; slightly brackish water (around 2 g of marine salt per litre) is often used in aquariums but is not essential.

Albert Günther described the bumblebee goby in 1868 from material collected in Borneo. Its yellow and black bands earned its name. Several similar Brachygobius species are sold under the same name.

First described by Albert Günther in 1868. Named for Named after Italian naturalist Giacomo Doria.

  • It prefers slightly brackish water.
  • Several lookalike species share the name bumblebee goby.
  • Males guard eggs in small caves.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources