Photo thanks to Aquasaur
Brachygobius xanthozona-BumbleBee Fish

Name:
Scientific name: Brachygobius spp.
Common name: Bumblebee
AKA:

Country of origin: Asia

pH: 7.5 – 8.5 for most species – it can alter depending on the species

For Brachygobius doriae - Bumblebee Goby/ Gobius doriae/ Hypogymnogobius doriae
pH: 7.0 – 8.5
Temperature: 22 – 28c
Hardness: 143 – 357 ppm
Water flow: standard
Oxygenation: standard
Maximum size: 3.5cm

Maximum size: 1.4 - 4 cm, depending on species

Diet: Live or frozen food. They have poor eyesight, and need the food to move in front of them to pounce. They do not compete for food if it does not appear at the bottom of the tank for them (if fish at the top get them first).

Breeding:
Males: slimmer
Females: rounder

Cave spawners, male guards eggs. Once the eggs are laid, either the male & eggs or other fish should be removed to avoid predation.

Tank companions:
They are NOT good tankmates with most shrimp. Darwin Algae Shrimp are an exception, as they are the same size as the gobies and can also tolerate brackish conditions.

Best kept in a group of 6+.

They are well known for nipping the fins of other fish, and are best considered in a species-specific tank.

They have also been seen to eat tetras approximately their own size – another argument for keeping them in a species – specific tank.

Tank:
Minimum tank size is 50 litres for 2 or 3 pairs. They need a lot of caves & niches as they can become territorial, particularly while spawning.

They can jump, so tightly fitting lids are a requirement.

They are best kept in brackish water. Although they are often kept in fresh water, this shortens their lifespan significantly, leaving them very susceptible to illness.

Suitable brackish plants:
Java ferns, bacopa, anubias, hair grass, water sprite and java moss
Blechnum indicum – in a shallow tank

Confused with: Other Brachygobius species. There are 9 in the genus:
Brachygobius aggregatus - Schooling bumblebee goby (commonly traded, often others are called it)
Brachygobius doriae - Bumblebee Goby (most commonly traded)
Brachygobius kabiliensis - Kabili bumblebee goby
Brachygobius mekongensis - Mekong Bumblebee Goby
Brachygobius nunus
Brachygobius sabanus - Sabanus Bumblebee Goby
Brachygobius sua - Bumblebee goby
Brachygobius xanthomelas
Brachygobius xanthozonus - Bumblebee fish

Dwarf Brachygobius nunus-species group - B. nunus, B. aggregatus, and B. mekongensis
bigger Brachygobius doriae-species group - B. doriae, B. sabanus, and B. xanthomelas

All are gobies and are black with yellow or orange bands.

Brachygobius spp.are legal imports to Australia as of 21/10/2013:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiv...mport-list.pdf

The IUCN Red List reports Brachygobius spp. as a species of least concern, with a stable population trend at 22/10/2013:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search

It is very important not to release any aquarium specimens into our waterways. Any that are not sold or re-homed/ given away, can often be re-sold to aquarium stores. If they are homed in ponds, care should be taken that they cannot escape in run-off into our waterways. Even if fish are native & local they should not be moved from one waterway to another, as this can transfer disease. If they are not local fish, they can both spread disease and either out-compete or eat local fish, shrimp & plants, causing their demise.

It is a good fish for beginners +1.

Relevant threads:
Breeding:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ngled-gudgeons

Breeding Brachygobius xanthomelas
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...t=Brachygobius

In freshwater/ with shrimp:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee

Tankmates/ keeping:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee
Tankmates/ plants for brackish water:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee
Tankmates – eating fish their own size:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee
Tail nipping/ list of NT native gobies:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee

Freshwater or brackish/ keeping with catfish:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee

Predating of shrimp & jumping:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee

Pics:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showt...ight=bumblebee

References:
Australian museum – with distribution map
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Spang...ra-porocephala

Fishbase
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Ophi...rocephala.html

Seriously fish:
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species...h/Brachygobius

Pictures:

Brachygobius spp. – Bumblebee goby - kwokwok

DE