Collecting Gobies
Text and photos by
James L. Van Tassell
Systematic
Ichthyology
Biology Department,
<jvantassell@gobiidae.com>
www.gobiidae.com
With gobies found in very diverse habitats, collecting
them can be a challenge. You might find yourself climbing trees, traversing
waterfalls, immersed in a mangrove swamp, diving in coral reefs, or in the deep
sea. Perhaps the biggest problem in finding them is the lack of information on
their microhabitat. I’ve spent months
looking for a specific species, knowing that they were collected in a specific
area, but not finding them until discovering their specific microhabitat.
How you collect depends on whether you’re bringing
them back to breed or for systematic studies. In all cases the methods used can
be grouped into three categories – traps – nets – chemicals.
Traps
Traps are effective methods for gobies that like small
caves and crevices. If you live near the water, where you can hang a trap
for extended periods, give it a try. The
easiest trap to make is a bottle with a cord around the neck and some sediment
in the bottom to weigh it down. While most systematists
prefer beer bottles, those underage may substitute soda or water bottles. An effective trap for collecting Gobiosoma
(Tigrigobius) macrodon, G.
bosc, and sometimes species of Ctenogobius
or Gobionellus
in
Nets
For gobies that dwell in shallow sandy or grassy areas,
small beach seines and nets with long handles will yield species of Microgobius
and Gobiosoma.
Use the long handle net to sweep rapidly through the grass beds. Make
sure you have a fine mesh. With two people a beach seine is generally more
successful. Seines come in many sizes, generally starting around 4’ by 6’
and progressing up to 6’ by 100’ and more. I generally use a 6’ by 20’ net
with ¼” mesh. If you have never used a seine before make sure
you keep the lead line on the bottom and the bottom of the poles facing in
the direction you’re moving. If you
don’t have the proper technique the fish will escape under the net.
Tidepools provide an excellent area to
collect species of Bathygobius in the western
Chemicals
Clove oil is a relatively
new method of collecting. Not every state allows its use and may not due to
unknowns associated with its use. Clove oil (eugenol) does have guidelines
established for its use by the FDA. Check the following link for FDA information:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guidance/guide150.doc
(More information on obtaining collecting permits is given below.) The concentrated
oil will numb your hands as well as put the fish to sleep.
You need the concentrated clove oil which can be purchased from wholesale
spice dealers. Check my website for the one I use. Make a 2% solution in isopropyl alcohol, place
it in a squeeze bottle, and you’re set.
Quinaldine is still the chemical of choice
for most professional collectors. It is
not available in liquid form to the general public but a powdered form can be
found in some wholesale aquarium supply houses.
Unlike clove oil, you do need permits to collect with quinaldine in most areas.
If you have the permits, mix a 2% or less solution in isopropanol and seawater.
Start by diluting the quinaldine 50:50 with isopropanol then use that mix diluted 10 times with more isopropanol and that final mix dilute with seawater by
50%. Keep the quinaldine
in solution by shaking the squirt bottle.
A small cloud dispersed in the water, under rocks or in caves, will
cause the fish to drop out of their hiding places. The best method for
collecting fish is still rotenone. It is
however not legal in many places and dangerous to use. It also kills the fish
and as such is very useful in systematic and ecological studies but not if
you’re collecting aquarium specimens.
If you are equipped with clove oil or quinaldine and have a mask and snorkel, try collecting Barbulifer
in very shallow grassy areas in the tropics. They are generally found in 1
foot of water and less. If you’re more
adventurous, two very attractive gobies, Ginsburgellus
and Tigrigobius macrodon
can be found under sea urchins in rocky coast with relatively strong wave
action. Good luck! Pictures of both
of these gobies are currently on the index page of the website at <gobiidae.com>.
While most of the “pretty” gobies are found in tropical
coral reef environments there are species of Microgobius
with bright iridescent colors in mangrove swamps.
If you’re in deep mud a net and/or quinaldine
will help get these.
Before collecting, check with the local marine enforcement
and obtain the proper permits to collect. In some cases a fishing license will cover the
collecting of non-sport fish, but not in all cases. Most states in the
Anyone collecting gobies can help add to the general
knowledgebase by identifying the specific microhabitat a species is collected
in and sending the information to me for inclusion on my web site
<gobiidae.com>.
