{"product_id":"engineer-goby-pholidichthys-leucotaenia-saltwater","title":"Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif;color:#1a1a1a;max-width:860px;line-height:1.7;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:#E0F7FA;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding:10px 14px;margin:0 0 14px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup only.\u003c\/strong\u003e Your order is reserved, we hold off on bagging until you arrive so it stays healthy in its display tank.\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eEngineer Goby\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003ePholidichthys leucotaenia\u003c\/em\u003e) is one of the most entertaining oddballs in the saltwater hobby: an eel-shaped excavator that spends its life designing and maintaining a network of tunnels under your rockwork. Juveniles wear a crisp black and white racing stripe, and as they grow the stripe breaks apart into bold bands and spots, so the fish you take home keeps changing its outfit for the first year or two. Hardy, peaceful, and reef-safe, it is beginner friendly as long as you build the tank with its construction habit in mind. Browse the rest of our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/salt-water\"\u003esaltwater livestock and supplies\u003c\/a\u003e to round out the crew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eCare Guide\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTank size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 55 gallons or larger for an adult. They start small but grow into foot-long, eel-shaped adults that need floor space to tunnel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAquascape rule number one:\u003c\/strong\u003e seat all rockwork directly on the tank bottom, never on top of the sand. An Engineer Goby will excavate under everything, and rocks resting on sand can shift or collapse.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubstrate:\u003c\/strong\u003e a deep bed of sand mixed with rubble, 2 to 3 inches or more, gives it proper tunneling material.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater parameters:\u003c\/strong\u003e 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026. Very forgiving once the tank is stable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeeding:\u003c\/strong\u003e carnivore. Offer meaty frozen foods like \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/piscine-energetics-pe-mysis\"\u003ePE Mysis\u003c\/a\u003e and brine shrimp, plus sinking pellets. Shy at first and most active around dusk, it becomes bolder at feeding time as it settles in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLid:\u003c\/strong\u003e recommended, as with most elongated fish, especially while it learns the tank.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:640px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific name\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePholidichthys leucotaenia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommon names\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eEngineer Goby, Convict Blenny, Convict Worm Goby\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare level\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eBeginner\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTemperament\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003ePeaceful\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReef safe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eYes, with secure aquascaping\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMax size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e10 to 12 inches, eel-shaped\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum tank\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e55 gallons\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTemperature\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e72 to 78°F\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalinity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e1.020 to 1.026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiet\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eCarnivore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eWestern Pacific reefs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePickup\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #B2EBF2;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eIn-store pickup at Squeaky's Aquatics\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeaceful toward everything it cannot swallow whole, and big enough as an adult that almost nothing bothers it. Great tank mates include the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/firefish-goby-nemateleotris-magnifica-saltwater\"\u003eFirefish Goby\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/royal-gramma-gramma-loreto-saltwater\"\u003eRoyal Gramma\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/blue-green-chromis-chromis-viridis-saltwater\"\u003eBlue Green Chromis\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/banggai-cardinal-pterapogon-kaudernii-saltwater-reef\"\u003eBanggai Cardinal\u003c\/a\u003e, and cleanup crew inverts like the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/scarlet-skunk-cleaner-shrimp-lysmata-amboinensis-saltwater\"\u003eScarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp\u003c\/a\u003e. Corals are safe, but mount frags on rockwork or racks rather than the sand, since the construction crew below can bury anything at ground level. If you love sand-dwelling personalities, our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/white-sleeper-goby-valenciennea-sexguttata-saltwater\"\u003eWhite Sleeper Goby\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/diamond-watchman-goby\"\u003eDiamond Sleeper Goby\u003c\/a\u003e make great co-workers in larger tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eRecommended Foods \u0026amp; Supplies\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/piscine-energetics-pe-mysis\"\u003ePiscine Energetics PE Mysis\u003c\/a\u003e frozen food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/xtreme-marine-peewee-1-5mm-slow-sinking-pellet\"\u003eXtreme Marine PeeWee Pellets\u003c\/a\u003e slow-sinking staple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/vitalis-marine-grazing-pellets-saltwater-fish-food\"\u003eVitalis Marine Grazing Pellets\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #006064;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it actually a goby?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, and it is not a blenny either. The Engineer Goby is the only member of its own family, Pholidichthyidae. The common names stuck anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does mine look different than the photo?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey transform as they grow. Juveniles have a clean horizontal stripe, and adults develop bold vertical bands and spots on an eel-like body. Watching the pattern change is half the fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it destroy my aquascape?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt will remodel the ground floor. With rockwork seated on the glass and corals mounted up on the rocks, the digging is harmless and honestly fascinating to watch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI never see it. Is that normal?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCompletely, especially the first few weeks. It works the night shift and peeks out at feeding time. Most become noticeably bolder once they associate you with food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Squeaky's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48961153990875,"sku":null,"price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/5209\/3403\/files\/42401474916cc41d76473d57761b899c.jpg?v=1783605888","url":"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/engineer-goby-pholidichthys-leucotaenia-saltwater","provider":"Squeaky's Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}