The Bella Goby (Valencienna bella) also known as the Valenciennea Goby, Elegant Shrimp Goby, Blueband Goby, or Bella Sand Sifting Goby is an attractive sleeper goby species that is found in the Western Pacific from Okinawa, Japan to the Philippine islands.
The Bella Goby, locally referred to as the Sleeper Goby, is a shy, reclusive carnivore that lives in the cracks, crevices, caves, and sandy bottoms along the coastal reefs of their range, at depths from 35 to over 115 feet, where they feed on copepods and other small invertebrates.
The Valenciennea Goby is a hardy species that is usually found singly or in pairs among the rubble, rocks, and sandy bottoms where they venture out of their hiding places to sift the sand for copepods and organic matter, or to defend their territories.
The Bella Goby is similar in shape and size to the Golden Head Sleeper Goby. It should not be confused with the similarly named and much smaller Bella Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus).
Valencienna bella display several color variations of Maroon, Red, and Orange. All varieties have a yellow and gold colored head with 2 to 3 sapphire blue stripes on the cheek below the eyes, and an off white colored chin and belly. Adult males have a black mouth and throat, rhomboid caudal fins, and elongated dorsal fins with yellow filaments. As juveniles grow into adulthood, they acquire black patches or spots under the chin.
The Bella Goby is a peaceful species that can be housed as a single species or if possible as mated pairs in a dimly lit, well established aquarium of at least 30 gallon capacity, with a thick sand or very fine gravel substrate for them to burrow into, and plenty of mature live rock arranged into cracks, crevices, and caves for them to graze and hide among.
The Bella Goby is a small, extremely peaceful sand sifting species that get along well with other peaceful tank mates in a reef aquarium environment. Although they will ignore corals and most invertebrates in a reef tank, they will eat tiny invertebrates if they can fit them into their mouth. Compatible tank mates for the Bella Goby includes the Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica), Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto), Neon Goby (Elacatinus spp.), Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni), and Clownfish (Amphiprion spp.).
When crowded or confined in smaller tanks; the Bella Goby can become territorial towards other gobies, blennies, or dartfish.
Because these gobies have a tendency to jump when startled, a tight fitting aquarium cover should be provided.
The Bella Sand Sifting Goby has been bred in an aquarium environment, however, the larvae are extremely difficult to raise into juveniles.
In the wild, Valencienna bella mate for life. Their breeding behavior begins with the female gently pecking at the male to stimulate mating. After the female deposits her egg masses over the substrate, the male then spreads sperm over the egg masses to fertilize them. The male then pushes off the female while he guards the eggs and fans the water with his pectoral fins to increase the oxygen levels until the eggs hatch out, which can take up to several days.
In their natural habitat, Bella Gobies feeds on small invertebrates and organic matter that they sift from the sand.
In an aquarium environment, Bella Gobies get nourishment from the bottom of the aquarium by gulping up mouthfuls of substrate and sifting the sand through their mouths. Organisms that live within the sand such as small worms and crustaceans are filtered out and consumed. The Goby’s constant sifting keeps the substrate clean and well oxygenated.
Bella Gobies should also be given multiple daily feedings of a variety of fresh and thawed frozen foods such as enriched brine shrimp, enriched Mysis shrimp, grass shrimp, black worms, copepods, and marine carnivore pellets.
Many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts include refugiums into their systems to feed their reef animals. A mature refugium populated with copepods and/or amphipods will greatly benefit the health of Valencienna bella an other reef critters.
The Bella Goby (Valencienna bella) is occasionally available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts from a variety of online retailers, wholesalers, and transhippers at the following approximate purchase sizes: Small: 2.25 – 3.5″, Medium: 3.5 – 4.75″
Prices for medium specimens range from $119.99 to $161.99
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Aquarium Type: Reef or FOLR
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8 – 12°, pH 8.1–8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
Max size: 6″
Color Form: Maroon, Orange, Red
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: Reef Sand Sifter
Origin: Okinawa, Japan; Philippine islands.
Family: Gobiidae
Lifespan: 5 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate/Expert
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[…] to be confused with the commonly named Bella Goby (Valencienna bella); the Bella Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus) have vibrant red and blue colors on the head; yellow […]