Valenciennea is a genus of small, bottom-dwelling fish in the family Gobiidae. They are found over sandy bottoms, often at coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. The members of the genus tend to rest directly on the substrate for extended periods of time. While this is a common behavior for members of the family, this genus also float motionless directly above the substrate, which is why they are sometimes called glider gobies. Their resting behavior has resulted in the vernacular name "sleeper gobies", which invites confusion with the related family Eleotridae. The members of this genus are known to be carnivorous sand-sifters; to eat, they simply engulf entire mouthfuls of sand which they expel through their gills. Specialized structures in their gills filter small crustaceans and worms as the sand is expelled. It is this specific trait that makes some members of the genus attractive to the marine aquarist, and they are often introduced into a marine aquarium for sand-sifting. Some of the species are known to be monogamous. The genus was named after notable French zoologist Achille Valenciennes. These fish are difficult to keep in a tank. Tanks with plenty of live sand and live rock are recommended. Offer foods such as sinking shrimp pellets. Fish may die even if eating properly.
Nemateleotris magnifica, known by a variety of common names including fire goby, magnificent fire fish, fire dartfish, or red fire goby, is a species of dartfish native to coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The dwarf pygmy goby or Philippine goby is a tropical species of fish in the subfamily Gobionellinae from brackish water and mangrove areas in Southeast Asia. It is one of the smallest fish species in the world. Males reach maturity at a standard length of 0.9 cm (0.35 in) and can reach up to 1.1 cm (0.43 in) in standard length, while the females can grow up to 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in total length. Adults weigh around 4 milligrams (0.00015 oz). It is known as bia and tabios in the Philippines.
Sicyopterus lagocephalus, the red-tailed goby or blue stream goby, is a species of goby native to islands of the Indian Ocean from the Comoros to the Mascarene Islands to the Pacific Ocean where it reaches French Polynesia and can be found as far north as Japan. It is an amphidromous species: adults can be found in swift-flowing streams with rocky beds but the eggs hatch at sea and the larval stage remains in marine waters, migrating to freshwaters when they reach the postlarval stage. This species can reach a total length of 13 cm (5 in). In some places it is an important species for local consumption with the post-larvae being caught as they mass in estuaries.
Glossogobius giuris, the tank goby, is a species of goby native to fresh, marine and brackish waters from the Red Sea and East Africa through South Asia and the Indian Ocean to China, Australia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is also known as the bar-eyed goby, flat-headed goby and the Gangetic tank goby.
Valencienna sexguttata, the chalk goby, sixspot goby, sleeper blue dot goby, is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It inhabits bays or lagoons in waters of from 3 to 25 metres with silt or sand substrates with larger pieces of rock under which to burrow. This species can reach a length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in) TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Valenciennea strigata is a species of fish in the family Gobiidae, the gobies. Its common names include the blueband goby, golden-head sleeper goby, and pennant glider. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it can be found in outer lagoons and the seaward side of reefs. It occurs in a variety of substrates, sand, rubble, hard, at depths of from 1 to 25 metres. It primarily inhabits burrows dug under rubble, using them as both a nesting site and a refuge from predators. Such burrows typically have two entrances; however, only one of them is open, as the other is covered by rubble, sand, and algae. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This species can reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) TL. It is the type species of the genus Valenciennea.
Valenciennea longipinnis, the Long-finned goby, or Puntang is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it can be found in lagoons and areas with substrates of fine sand at depths of mostly less than 3 metres (9.8 ft), occasionally down to 6 metres (20 ft) and rarely deeper than that. This species can reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) SL. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Valenciennea wardii, Ward's sleeper, Ward's sleeper goby, is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean in bays, reefs and lagoons at depths of from 12 to 35 metres. It can be found on sandy or silty substrates. This species can reach a length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. The specific name honours the United Kingdom diplomat Swinburne Ward (1830-1897) who was Her Majesty's Civil Commissioner for the Seychelles, although this species was described from specimens collected off Zanzibar.
Koumansetta rainfordi, the old glory or Court Jester goby, is a species of goby native to tropical reefs of the western Pacific Ocean where it occurs at depths of from 2 to 30 metres. This species can reach a length of 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. The specific name honours the viticulturalist E. H. Rainford, of the Queensland Agricultural Department, who also collected specimens for the Australian Museum, and in 1924 he collected specimens of this species.
Hector's goby is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean to the islands of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. It can be found on sheltered coral reefs at depths of from 3 to 30 metres. This species reaches a length of 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. The specific name honours Gordon Hector who was Chief Secretary to the Government of the Seychelles, in gratitude for his help to Smith's work in the Seychelles.
Amblyeleotris wheeleri, the Gorgeous prawn-goby, is a species of goby native to tropical reefs of the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. It can be found at depths of from 5 to 40 metres though is usually does not occur deeper than 15 metres (49 ft). It is a commensal with alpheid shrimps, most often being found in association with Alpheus ochrostriatus. This species can reach a length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Eviota pellucida, commonly called neon pygmy goby or pellucida pygmy goby, is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiidae.
Trimma cana, the Candy cane pygmy-goby, is a species of goby native to the western Pacific Ocean where it can be found from the Philippines to Palau. It inhabits steep slopes on the outer side of reefs, preferring a hard coral substrate, at depths of from 12 to 35 metres. This species can reach a length of 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) SL.
Mahidolia mystacina, the flagfin prawn goby, flagfin shrimpgoby or smiling goby, is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean from Delagoa Bay, Mozambique to the Society Islands and from southern Japan to Samoa and northern Australia. This species occurs in marine and brackish waters, being found in coastal bays, estuaries and reef bases where the bottom is silty or muddy at depths of from 5 to 25 metres. This species is a commensal with a species of alpheid shrimp, using its burrow as its home. This species can reach a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in) TL. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is currently the only known member of its genus.
Oxyurichthys microlepis, commonly known as the maned goby, is a species of goby native to tropical marine and brackish waters along the coasts of the Indian Ocean from Africa to the western Pacific Ocean where it occurs in estuaries and inshore waters to depths of about 75 metres (246 ft). It occurs in the Mekong Delta and is suspected to use the tidal flow up the river to reach as far inland as Cambodia. This species can reach a length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in) TL. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade.
True gobies were a subfamily, the Gobiinae, of the goby family Gobiidae, although the 5th edition of the Fishes of the World does not subdivide the Gobiidae into subfamilies. They are found in all oceans and a few rivers and lakes, but most live in warm waters. Altogether, the Gobiinae unite about 1149 described species in 160 genera, and new ones are still being discovered in numbers.
Bryaninops yongei, the wire-coral goby or whip coral goby, is a benthic species of goby widely distributed from the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean to the islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean.
Valenciennea helsdingenii is a species of goby from the Indo-Pacific. It is commonly known as the twostripe goby, black-lined sleeper goby, or railway sleeper goby. It can grow up to a length of 25 cm (9.8 in) and is distinguishable by two prominent orange to black lines running longitudinally through its body.
Discordipinna griessingeri is a small, brightly colored, marine neritic fish in the family Gobiidae that is commonly called the spikefin goby or flaming prawn goby. Occasionally it is mislabeled as "Stonogobiops griessingeri" which is a binomial species name that does not formally exist. The spikefin goby has a wide distribution across reefs throughout the western tropical Pacific, Pacific Islands such as Hawai'i or Polynesia, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. It is also occasionally collected and traded as an exotic aquarium fish in multiple countries.
