Shotsilk 'Goby'

Shotsilk 'Goby'

The Shotsilk 'Goby' (Ptereleotris zebra) — more properly a dartfish, and also known as the zebra barred dartfish or Chinese zebra goby — is a slender, pastel-green reef fish marked with delicate vertical bars that flush with colour as the fish moves, giving it the shimmering, shot-silk look behind its trade name. It is a peaceful, sociable species that hovers above the substrate and darts for cover at the first sign of danger.

Best kept in a group, it brings constant gentle movement to the upper water column of a peaceful reef. Its one quirk to plan around is a strong tendency to jump.

Natural Habitat & Origin

Ptereleotris zebra ranges across the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, where it lives in schools over reef flats and slopes, typically in shallow water no deeper than about 4 metres but recorded down to around 31 metres (to roughly 100 feet). The fish hover above burrows and rubble, retreating into holes in the reef when threatened.

In the aquarium it wants open swimming space above the rock, plenty of crevices to bolt into, and ideally the company of its own kind.

Care Requirements

Maintain stable marine conditions: salinity around 1.024–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, and a temperature of about 24–26°C (75–79°F). Reaching around 12 cm (4.7 inches) and best kept in a small group, it suits a tank of around 113 litres (30 US gallons) or more with a generous footprint and plenty of rock holes for shelter.

A tight-fitting lid with no gaps is essential — P. zebra is a notorious jumper, and open-top tanks frequently lose them.

Diet & Feeding

The Shotsilk 'Goby' is a planktivore, feeding on zooplankton it picks from the water column. It accepts aquarium foods well: offer frequent small meals of frozen mysis and enriched brine shrimp, small marine pellets and quality flakes. Because it feeds in midwater, ensure food drifts where the fish can intercept it, and feed often enough to keep a group in good condition.

Behavior & Temperament

This is a peaceful, somewhat shy fish that does best in a group of several individuals, where it is bolder and more natural in its behaviour. Singly it can be retiring and easily intimidated. It is no threat to tankmates and spends its day hovering above the rocks, dropping into cover when startled.

Tank Mates

Keep it with other peaceful reef fish — clownfish, smaller gobies, cardinalfish, anthias and similar — and avoid aggressive or boisterous species that will keep it hidden and off its food. It is fully reef-safe, leaving corals and invertebrates alone, and a small school makes an elegant, active display in a calm reef.

Breeding

Like other Ptereleotris dartfish, P. zebra pairs spawn in burrows in the substrate, but rearing the pelagic larvae is difficult and rarely accomplished in the home aquarium. Trade specimens are wild-collected.

Common Health Issues

The greatest practical risk to this species in captivity is jumping, so a secure, gap-free lid is the single most important precaution. Otherwise it is reasonably hardy, though like all marine fish it can be affected by marine ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) and marine velvet (Amyloodinium ocellatum) under stress. Quarantine new arrivals, keep water quality stable, provide ample shelter and company, and the Shotsilk 'Goby' is a graceful, trouble-free addition to a peaceful reef.