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Related FAQs: Sifter
Gobies, True Gobies, Gobies 2, Goby
Identification, Goby Behavior,
Goby Selection,
Goby Compatibility, Goby Feeding,
Goby Systems,
Goby Disease, Goby Reproduction,
Amblygobius
Gobies, Clown
Gobies, Neon
Gobies, Genus
Coryphopterus Gobies, Mudskippers,
Shrimp
Gobies,
Related Articles: True
or Combtooth Gobies, Gobioids,
/The Conscientious Reef Aquarist
Sifter
or Sleeper Gobies, the Genus Valenciennea
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By Bob Fenner
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Valenciennea strigata
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Sifter/Sleeper Gobies, Genus Valenciennea: Fifteen
species.
Sifter, aka Sleeper Gobies accept all kinds of foods
and have proven to be quite disease resistant; their only possible downside is their
prodigious digging behavior.
The orange spotted V. puellaris and
blue cheek V. strigata are standard goby offerings; several other congeners are at
times within reach. They're large for gobies, at half a foot, and peaceful enough for use
in all types of marine set-ups.
| Valenciennea helsdingenii (Bleeker 1858), the
Two-Stripe Goby. Indo-West Pacific; Red Sea and eastern Africa to
the Indonesia. Grows to ten inches in length. Aquarium photo. |
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| Valenciennea longipinnis (Lay & Bennett 1839),
the Long-Finned Goby. Eastern Indian Ocean, Western Pacific. To six inches
in length. This one off of Queensland, Australia. |
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| Valenciennea muralis (Valenciennes 1837), the Mural
Goby. Indo-Pacific; Indian Ocean and tropical West Pacific. To five inches
in length. Aquarium images. |
 
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| Valenciennea puellaris (Tomiyama 1956), the Maiden
Goby. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to Samoa. To a little over six inches in
length. The most commonly offered member of the genus. Frequently starves
due to a lack of fauna in its substrate to feed on. Skinny and healthy aquarium
specimens and one in the Red Sea. |
| Valenciennea sexguttata (Valenciennes 1837), the
Sixspot Goby. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to Samoa. To nearly six inches in
length. This couple in the Maldives, Indian Ocean in typical setting... as
a pair near the rock they live under. |
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| Valenciennea strigata (Broussonet
1782), the Blueband Goby. Indo-Pacific; east Africa to the Tuamotus. To a
little over seven inches in length. Second most popular species of the
genus in the aquarium interest. Aquarium and Malaysian image. |
 
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| Valenciennea wardii (Playfair 1867), Ward's or Tiger
Sleeper Goby. Indo-Pacific; Indian Ocean and western tropical Pacific
around reefs to 20 meter depths. To 13 cm. in length. Below: two aquarium
pix and one in N. Sulawesi. |
Bibliography/Further Reading:
Howe, Jeffrey C. 1998. Original descriptions: Valenciennea bella. FAMA 6/98.
Michael, Scott W. 1999. Sifter Gobies: You probably know them as Sleeper
Gobies, but you may not know their dietary needs. AFM 10/99.
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