Home / Fishes / Gobies and sleepers / Marble goby
No federal permit to keepMarble goby
Oxyeleotris marmorata
Fishes › Gobies and sleepers (Gobiiformes) › Butidae (Sleeper gudgeons)
The marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) is a widely distributed species of fish in the family Butidae native to fresh and brackish waters of the Mekong and Chao Praya basins, as well as rivers and other water bodies in Cambodia (where it is called…
Intro from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 48 in long and 24 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 11.8 in / 30 cm; the largest recorded was 25.6 in).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 72–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.5–7.5.
- Hardness: 10–15 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 59 × 24 in (roughly 143 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 72–82 °F, pH 6.5–7.5, 10–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “The fish like to dig, and sometimes partially bury themselves, so a soft substrate of sand, several inches in depth is recommended.”
- Diet: “Although strictly carnivorous in nature, many captive specimens can be trained to take dried pellets.”
- Tankmates: “Territorial with its own kind and will consume any fish it can fit in its capacious mouth.”
- Breeding: “Not thought to have been bred in captivity.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Sleeper gudgeons
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These bottom-oriented predators inhabit Indo-Pacific rivers, ponds and flooded forests or coastal estuaries and mangroves, often sheltering among roots and vegetation. [fg277-marble, fg277-olive, fg277-mud]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For one Butis amboinensis, provide at least a 75 × 30 cm footprint; use larger quarters for companions.
- For O. marmorata, the cited starting adult enclosure is 150 × 60 × 60 cm, approximately 540 litres; the largest specimens require more space.
- Give marble gobies several inches of soft sand for digging and partial burial; sand also avoids gravel ingestion by Butis.
- Provide substantial root, pipe or pot retreats and subdued lighting.
- Keep Butis in brackish water matched initially to the supplier; do not exceed seawater SG 1.025. Marble gobies are primarily freshwater inhabitants.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 71.6–82.4°F |
Diet
- Bloodworms and small earthworms for juveniles.
- Whole prawns and appropriately sized fish for larger marble gobies.
- Shrimp, mussel or squid flesh for Butis.
- Mysis or Artemia for suitably sized Butis; meat-based pellets may be accepted by trained marble gobies.
Social life
- Keep Butis and marble gobies singly unless very large housing and compatible large tankmates are available; both can be territorial and swallow smaller fish.
Health watch
- Nutritional disease from inappropriate mammalian or avian meat.
- Parasites introduced with feeder fish.
- Ammonia toxicity.
Understanding the animal
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water, in rivers and streams, lakes. Stays near the bottom. Found in rivers, swamps, reservoirs and canals. Enters flooded forest. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water, 72–82 °F (22–28 °C), pH 6.5–7.5, hardness 10–15 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: nesters. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–82 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 68°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 74–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 72–81% on average (driest month about 69%) |
| Rainfall | about 1978 mm a year |
Measured at 178 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) is a widely distributed species of fish in the family Butidae native to fresh and brackish waters of the Mekong and Chao Praya basins, as well as rivers and other water bodies in Cambodia (where it is called ត្រីដំរី "TreiDamrei"), Thailand (where it is called ปลาบู่), Malaysia, Singapore (where it is called "Soon Hock" fish), Indochina, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It is among the largest gobioid fish, reaching a length of 65 cm, though most do not exceed 30 cm. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing; Found in rivers, swamps, reservoirs and canals. Feeds on small fishes, shrimps, aquatic insects, mollusks and crabs. Considered a delicacy over much of eastern Asia. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Maximum recorded lifespan
Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 59 × 24 in (about 143 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Diel osmorespiration rhythms of juvenile marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) Lim LS et al., Fish physiology and biochemistry 2020
- Nitrogen metabolism and branchial osmoregulatory acclimation in the juvenile marble goby, Oxyeleotris marmorata, exposed to seawater Chew SF et al., Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology 2009
- Chromosome-level genome assembly of the marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) Liu H et al., Scientific data 2025
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — Oxyeleotris marmorata Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Butis amboinensis Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- FishBase — Northern mud gudgeon, Ophiocara porocephalum, citing the 2021 genus revision Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
