Golden Head Sleeper (Valenciennea strigata)
Golden Head Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea strigata) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Pennant Glider, Yellowheaded Sleeper, Blue Cheek Goby, Blueband Sleeper, Bluestreak, or Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Golden Head Sleeper Goby is commonly found in and around the burrows that they dig in the outer lagoons and the seaward reefs of their range at depths from 3 to over 80 feet where they feed on organisms that they sift from the substrate.
The Golden Head Sleeper Goby is almost always found close to the burrows that they excavate in sand, hard bottom, and rubble where they take refuge from predators and use as nesting sites. Their burrows typically have two entrances of which only one is visible. The second entrance is normally hidden under the sand, rubble, or covered by algae.
Although the Golden Head Sleeper Goby has been encountered as deep as 80 feet or more; Valenciennea strigata are most commonly collected at depths less than 20 feet.
Golden Head Sleeper (Valenciennea strigata)
The Golden Head Sleeper Goby has an off white body color and a yellow-gold head with a bright sapphire blue stripe below the eyes.
The Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby is best housed in a mature reef or FOWLR aquarium of at least 55 gallon capacity with a deep base of live sand in most areas of the tank and plenty of live rock for them to meander and feed among. This species does best in tanks with an attached, well populated refugium to promote healthy populations of micro fauna.
Because Valenciennea strigata do not pick at or eat corals or other sessile invertebrates, they are considered reef safe. However, although their sand sifting feeding nature oxygenates the substrate in reef tanks, it can be problematic to corals. Blue Cheek gobies like to excavate their burrows underneath live rock and the base of corals. As they feed they expel the sand that they sift through their gills while in motion, were it can end up falling on delicate corals.
Yellowheaded Sleeper Gobies have a tendency to jump when startled and should be provided with a well sealed canopy.
Unless Valenciennea strigata are housed as a mated pair, they become territorial towards their own kind, however, they are seldom aggressive towards other fish species. Good tankmates include other similar sized peaceful species not prone to feeding on gobies. Avoid dragonets, jawfishes, or other burring species that compete for the same food source.
Although they don’t always do so, the Golden Head Sleeper Goby has the ability to change sex to form pairs. In the wild, a pair will spawn as often as every 14 days. The females remain in the burrow with the eggs until they hatch, which takes up to 4 days, while the male guards the entrance of the burrow.
In their natural habitat, the Golden Head Sleeper Goby feeds on tiny organisms that live in the sandy bottom substrate such as small copepods, worms, shrimp, algae, etc.
By constantly sifting mouthfuls of sand and expelling it through their gills, they extract any edible organisms from the substrate.
In an aquarium environment with a live sand substrate, they are so efficient at removing micro fauna that unless they are provided with a supplemental food source, they often starve. Their diet should include plenty of high quality meaty items like live and frozen brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp, live black worms, prepared carnivore foods, marine algae, and Spirulina. It is preferable to feed them several times a day.
The Golden Head Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea strigata) is commonly available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as wild caught specimens, primarily from the Philippines, from a variety of online retailers, wholesalers, and transhippers at the following approximate purchase sizes: Small: 1″ to 2″; Medium: 2″ to 3″; Large 3″ to 4″; XLarge: 4″ to 5″. Prices range from $49.99 to $ 69.99 for medium specimens.
Golden Head Sleeper (Valenciennea strigata)
Minimum Tank Size: 55 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: 7.1″
Color Form: Blue, Tan, White, Yellow
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: Reef Sand Sifter
Origin: Western Pacific, Indian Ocean
Family: Gobiidae
Lifespan: 5-7 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate
