Zebra Bar Goby (Ptereleotris Zebra)

Also Known As: Zebra Dartfish, Zebra Bar Dartfish

Compatibility and Behavior
The Zebra Bar Goby (Ptereleotris zebra) is a soft, glowing presence in the water column, truly one of the most subtly colorful dartfish in the trade. A blue-green to turquoise base carries pale vertical bars and subtle lavender and pink highlights along the flanks, and the elongated dorsal gives it a graceful, hovering profile under reef lighting. It spends its day cruising just above the rockwork and sand, then darting back to a favorite crevice the moment anything spooks it, which adds a gentle, constant motion to a peaceful display. Temperament is about as mellow as they come, which makes this a lovely fit for a calm community reef of small, non-aggressive tankmates like clownfish, other gobies and dartfish, blennies, and easygoing wrasses. It's fully reef safe, ignoring corals and most inverts in favor of tiny planktonic foods drifting by. If you have enough specimens (at least 5 or more), no guarantees, but they may even school together. The one thing to plan around is its shyness: kept with boisterous or predatory fish it'll spend most of its time hiding, so plenty of visual cover and gentle company are what bring it out where you can enjoy it.

Aquarium Requirements
The non-negotiable here is a tight-fitting lid. Like most dartfish, the Zebra Bar is an accomplished jumper that will launch when startled, and an open tank is a real risk. Get that sorted and the rest is easy: a mature reef with a fine to medium sand bed, open swimming lanes, and rockwork full of secure caves and overhangs to bolt into suits it well, with a tank around 30 to 40 gallons or more with a long footprint a solid starting point, especially if you're keeping more than one dartfish-type species. Provide moderate flow that keeps planktonic food suspended without blasting its chosen shelter, and offer regular feedings of small meaty items like mysis, enriched brine, copepods, and finely chopped seafood alongside quality micro pellets to hold it in prime condition.

Specifications
Approximate Size: Sm: 1.5–2", Md: 2-2.5", Lg: 2.5-3"
Diet: Carnivore; small meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine, copepods, and finely chopped seafood
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Care Level: Easy to moderate
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Special Considerations: An accomplished jumper that needs a tight-fitting lid; shy and best kept with gentle tankmates and plenty of hiding spots