Care
In the wild, the Dwarf Dragon Goby is found in cool, fast-flowing mountain streams, often alongside many species of hillstream loach. As such, the aquarium should replicate these conditions, with powerful filtration and extra powerheads to create a high flow rate and good levels of oxygenation. Dwarf Dragon Gobies have modified pelvic fins which create an area of suction and allow them to cling on to smooth rocks in swift currents. The aquarium should have a substrate of smooth fine gravel or sand, and some cobbles and flat stones should be used to create that stream bed effect. Robust plants that are capable of coping with extreme flow can also be used. This species can be kept alongside other peaceful temperate fish which like a good amount of current e.g. many of the Danio/Devario species and the 'sucker-bellied' Hillstream Loaches. Dwarf Dragon Goby males may spar with one another, but providing the tank is spacious enough with plenty of hiding places, this will not pose a problem. Most of the arguing is 'all show' and nothing too serious. In smaller aquaria, however, it is suggested that only a single male-female pair are housed together. Due to their preference for small live and frozen meaty foods, this species is not to be trusted with tiny fish or fry. Shipments of the Dwarf Dragon Goby sometimes contain the beautiful hillstream loach Liniparhomaloptera disparis disparis as a 'contaminant'. Not seen in the shops often enough, and well worth looking out for. Their quirky behaviour is fascinating to observe. Often seen on sale as White Cheek Goby but also known as the Redneck goby
Feeding
Small live and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, daphnia etc.
Breeding
The male will dig out a small depression under a rocky overhang to create a shallow cave and entices the female into this area by an elaborate courtship dance. When ready to spawn, the female moves into this area with the male and eggs are deposited on the ceiling. The male then remains in the cave and guards/fans the eggs. A typical brood size would be 15-30 eggs, and once these hatch, the parent fish should be removed from the tank to avoid predation on the fry.
