By Stephen G. Noble
Bumblebee gobies (Brachygobius spp.) are part of the family Gobiidae, a family containing more than 2,000 species, making it one of the largest families of fishes. Brachy is a Greek word meaning “short or brief.” Gobius is Latin for spiny-finned fish.
There are at least four species of bumblebee gobies sold in pet stores. Precise identification is virtually impossible without a post-mortem microscopic examination. Slight color variations coupled with other identifiers such as the number of fin rays make it virtually impossible for hobbyists to exactly classify which species they may have. In fact, the fish store where I purchased my bumblebee gobies simply identified them as “bumblebees.”
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