
Engineer goby
Pholidichthys leucotaenia
An obsessive digger that tunnels under rock and topples the scape.
The Engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia) is a tropical marine fish of the family Pholidichthyidae. It lives on and around reefs, between 3 and 30 m deep. Adults grow to about 25 cm; the largest on record measured 34 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 120 cm long and water at 23–27 °C.
- Size
- 25 cm
- Smallest tank
- 120 cm
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
- Care
- Moderate
In the aquarium
Temperature23–27 °C
pH7.8–8.5
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Moderate
- Water layer
- Bottom
- Group
- Happiest in a group of 3 or more
- Coral
- Nips corals
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
- Standard90 cm · 180 litresToo small
- Wide120 cm · 300 litres8 of them
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres18 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres34 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres41 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along56 species
- Picasso triggerfish
- Blue tang
- Purple tang
- Powder blue tang
- Foxface rabbitfish
- Emperor angelfish
- Lunare wrasse
- Regal angelfish
- Pyramid butterflyfish
- Maroon clownfish
- Queen angelfish
- Copperband butterflyfish
- Longnose butterflyfish
- Diamond watchman goby
- Melanurus wrasse
- Exquisite fairy wrasse
- Lawnmower blenny
- Starry blenny
- Pearlscale butterflyfish
- Yellow boxfish
- Aiptasia-eating filefish
- Yellow coris wrasse
- Leopard wrasse
- Domino damselfish
Caution43 species
Both semi-aggressive
- Sailfin tang
- Naso tang
- French angelfish
- Threadfin butterflyfish
- Porcupine puffer
- Squarespot anthias
- Yellow tang
- Scopas tang
- Convict tang
- Raccoon butterflyfish
- Dwarf lionfish
- Volitans lionfish
- Niger triggerfish
- Kole tang
- Tomato clownfish
- Lemonpeel angelfish
- Bicolor angelfish
- Scott's fairy wrasse
- Midas blenny
- Longnose hawkfish
- Clarkii clownfish
- Valentini puffer
- Flame angelfish
- Coral beauty angelfish
- Potter's angelfish
- Mystery wrasse
- Blackcap basslet
- Rusty angelfish
- Canary blenny
- Striped fang blenny
- Neon dottyback
- Bartlett's anthias
- Clownfish
- Flame hawkfish
- Orchid dottyback
- Banggai cardinalfish
- Percula clownfish
- Cherub angelfish
- Sixline wrasse
- Falco hawkfish
- Yellowtail damselfish
- Azure damselfish
Narrow shared temperature range
In the wild
- Water type
- Marine
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- Habitat
- Coral and rocky reefs
- Largest on record
- 34 cmtotal length
- Aquarium trade
- Traded commercially
Depth
surface
3 m30 m
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderCichliformes
- FamilyPholidichthyidae
- GenusPholidichthys
- SpeciesPholidichthys leucotaenia
- Described byBleeker, 1856
In other languages
- English
- Convict Blenny
- German
- Weißstreifen-Aalgrundel
- French
- Blennie bagnard
Quick answers
- Engineer goby size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 25 cm. The largest on record measured 34 cm (total length).
- Engineer goby tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 120 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Wide tank or larger.
- Engineer goby water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 23–27 °C, pH 7.8–8.5.
- Engineer goby tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 56 of the 99 reef species in the catalogue, such as Picasso triggerfish, Blue tang, and Purple tang.
- Engineer goby: alone or in a group?
- Keep at least 3 together.
- Engineer goby and corals: is it reef safe?
- No, it may nip at corals.
- Engineer goby depth: how deep does it live?
- In the wild, 3 to 30 m down.
Similar species
Sources
Engineer goby: compiled from these references.









