Peacock Gudgeon



Scientific Name(s): Tateurndina ocellicauda
Common Name(s): Peacock Gudgeon, Peacock Goby, Eye-spot Sleeper, and Rainbow Gudgeon.

Origin: Papua New Guinea.

Family: Eleotridae

Species Type: sleeper goby

Maximum Size: 3" (7.5cm)

Life Span: 3 - 5 years

Natural Habitat: Hovering in schools over the bottom of rivers, ponds and rainforest streams.

Diet: Flake, small pellets, blood worms and brine shrimp.

Temperature: 72°-78° F (22°- 25.6° C)

PH: 7.0-7.8

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons for a pair.

Tank Region: Mid to bottom dwellers.

Temperament: Peaceful, males will display and chase a bit as they defend a breeding spot.

Possible Tank Mates: With other peaceful community species. If you intend on spawning this stunning fish a species only tank is recomended. Spawning in community tanks is rare.

Filtration and Setup: Decorate the tank with plants that form plenty of hiding spots, such as Java fern and Java moss, and include several caves that can be used as spawning sites.

Sexing: Males are noticeably bigger than the females and have much bigger heads. The head has a strong jaw line and a moderate hump. The female is smaller, the belly will be a pale yellow and her head is more streamlined without any hump. During the breeding period, the eggs inside the female will make her very plump.

Breeding: With good quality water, proper diet and several caves (2” x 3” pieces of PVC pipe with one end capped or a small upside down flower pot will work great) spawning should be very easy. The Male will claim a tight, easily defended cave, and start to display to a ripe female hoping to coax her inside with him. Spawning can take several hours, during which they will kind of squirm against each other as the female lays eggs against the walls and roof of the cave. Once the spawning is complete the female will be chased from the cave. The fertilized eggs are transparent, with a light yellow or white sheen appearance. The male will care for the eggs and newly hatched fry by continuing to fan and guard them. The eggs will hatch in 1-3 days, and the tiny fry will stay attached to the cave feeding on their yolk sacks for up to 6 days before becoming free swimming. (It is best to remove the fry at this time as they are often consumed by the male if they don’t leave the cave quickly.)
The newly hatched fry are transparent with tine black specks for eyes. The fry will stay near the top of the water so providing floating live or fake plants will help them feel safe and secure. A diet of micro worms, infusoria and newly hatched brine shrimp should be offered at this time. As they grow longer, other foods such as mosquito larvae and flake foods can be offered. Fry reach maturity with in 7-9 months. Maintaining good water quality during this process is critical to the health of the fry. Weekly 30% water changes are a must. To avoid accidentally sucking up the fry, (they stay transparent for about two months) an air hose lowed to just above the bottom of the tank is recommended.