Neon blue goby

Stiphodon semoni is one of the most widespread members of the genus, occurring in clear, fast-flowing streams from Indonesia and the Philippines through to New Guinea and nearby islands. Displaying males develop a bright blue-green iridescent stripe along a darker body, while females are more subdued with dark lateral markings. Like its relatives it is a peaceful, amphidromous algae grazer that thrives only in mature aquaria with strong current, high oxygen and plenty of biofilm-covered rocks. Keep it at 22 to 27 Celsius in soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic to neutral water. Males contest grazing territory but cause no real harm; offer open hardscape and shoals of three or more. The primary care challenge is diet: it needs a steady supply of aufwuchs plus supplementary algae wafers and vegetable matter, and will slowly starve in a clean, algae-free setup.