Spangled Gudgeon 8cm

Spangled Gudgeon 

The spangled gudgeon makes for an amazing rare, unique, and oddball addition to a native Australian or predator aquarium. These fish remain at a relatively small size compared to most predator fish and are fairly easy to care for. Their exotic snakehead fish style appearance and ambush predator behavior they exhibit make the spangled gudgeon a truly eye-catching fish in a mixed predator tank or a species-specific biotope setting.

Spangled gudgeon gets to a maximum size of around 23cm, their elongated but round body shape and their underbite give this fish a cynical look as it rests on the sand bed. As juveniles, they have an ashy grey colour with light yellow barring. As the spangled gudgeon matures it develops iridescent white spots from head to tail which gives them its name. Along with this, the spangled gudgeon develops slightly orange tinges on the rims of its fins. These fish also have surprisingly largemouths and a stocky head shape along with the classic gudgeon fin structure. The ashy grey colour often changes to a more blended array of browns with distinct barring and blotches. Finally, the spangled gudgeon has striking blue eyes that can move around individually giving them a chameleon look. 

Their quirky but menacing aesthetic and their reclusive behavior make them fish that you can spend hours looking at and continue to be mesmerized. The spangled gudgeon can live up to 6 years and though they can complete their lifecycle in a full freshwater setting, these fish can be found in brackish settings as well. Though there is not much information on the specifics of breeding spangled gudgeon in the home aquarium, their natural breeding behavior is similar to that of cichlids. Females will lay eggs on a hard, smooth surface, and males guard these eggs until they are free-swimming. The spangled gudgeon is found in the northern parts of Australia. 

Tank Recommendations for your Spangled Gudgeon

 These spangled gudgeons will get to a maximum length of around 25 cm and do require a fairly large aquarium due to their predatory and messy nature during feeding. The minimum task volume that these fish require is around 200 liters, the aquarium should also have a decent profile because of their bottom-dwelling nature. 

Spangled gudgeon comes from fairly shallow waterways with a lot of covers, this wild setting can be replicated in the aquarium with driftwood and rock caves. These fish will appreciate soft water parameters with the PH at around 6.0 - 7.0. This can be easily achieved through the use of peat pouches in the filter or driftwood in the aquarium. The spangled gudgeon does not have a high concern with the substrate as they will be fine with either gravel or sand and will also be fine with plants. These are also tropical fish that are best kept at 24 - 26 degrees. 

Suitable Tank Buddies

The spangled gudgeon is a fairly peaceful fish that does not display aggressive territorial behavior such as cichlids. They are still a predator fish though, which means they will make short work of small tank mates.

Usually Compatible

Australian Bass, purple-spotted gudgeon, jade perch, silver perch, Saratoga, and semi-aggressive South American cichlids

Sometimes Compatible

Oscar, Jaguar Cichlid, and potentially small tank mates like archerfish or mono argenteus.  

Rarely Compatible

Small prey type species like danio, black widow tetras, and fish that do not meet the water parameters as the gudgeon like African cichlids

Feeding your Spangled Gudgeon

These fish are carnivores that will prefer a meaty diet. They can easily be fed pellets but will also prefer additional supplementation of prawns, pieces of fish, and similar foods. Because of their bottom-dwelling nature, it is easy for the gudgeon to be outcompeted by tank mates higher in the water column so this should be accounted for.