Scissortail Goby
Ptereleotris evides
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out of Stock | 2.25" or smaller - Indo-Pacific | Original price was: $49.99.$25.99Current price is: $25.99. | Email me |
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Full guarantee terms →Ships Monday – Thursday for next-day arrival at your nearest FedEx Hold location — typically ready by 9 AM. We monitor every delivery.
Shipping details →
Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Easy |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Ornamental Only |
| Diet Type | Planktivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Max Size | 6 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Scissortail Goby (also sold as the Scissortail Dartfish) is a reef-safe, open-water hoverer with a pale head, blue body, and dark scissor-shaped tail. It spends much of the day suspended above sand and rubble, giving your reef tank steady midwater movement without disrupting corals.
What You’ll Observe:
- Hovering in the water column, often a short distance above the bottom
- Quick, darting bursts between open water and a preferred crevice or burrow
- Regular “checking in” to the same shelter spot throughout the day
- Most activity during feeding, especially when food drifts in the flow
How to Succeed: Provide a 30-gallon (or larger) aquarium with open swimming space, a sandy bottom, and loose coral rubble/rockwork where it can retreat and settle. Offer small meaty planktonic foods (like mysis and finely chopped seafood) in a gentle current so it can feed naturally in the water column. Use a tight-fitting lid and cover gaps around overflows so it stays in the display.
Can Scissortail Gobies be kept as a pair or small group?
Many hobbyists keep them singly, as a bonded pair, or in small groups when added at the same time, especially in larger tanks with multiple shelter options.
Why does mine “disappear” for long stretches even though it’s in the tank?
It’s common for them to pick one or two favorite hideouts and spend extended periods tucked into rockwork, then return to hovering when they feel settled.
Do they sleep on the sand bed at night?
Most will choose a crevice, rubble pocket, or burrow-like spot for resting; you’ll often see them reappear and resume hovering once lights come on.
What’s the best way to get them eating confidently in a new tank?
Gentle broadcast feeding helps—let finely sized foods drift past their hovering zone so they can take bites from the water column without needing to chase food on the bottom.
How do I prevent one from ending up in an overflow or back chamber?
Hobbyists commonly use mesh guards or covers on overflow teeth and any openings that lead to filtration compartments, while still keeping water flow unrestricted.
We source from vetted suppliers known for healthy, long-lived specimens.
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