Taxonomy & naming
Lentipes kaaea is a true goby of the family Oxudercidae, placed in the Sicydiinae, the amphidromous stream gobies of Indo-Pacific islands. The Catalog of Fishes lists it as valid under the authority Watson, Keith & Marquet, 2002. The type locality is given there as: Napwé Imié above dam south of Napwéimiê near Poindimié, North Province, New Caledonia.
Morphology
Sicydiine gobies have the pelvic fins fused into a cup-shaped sucker disc, which lets them hold position on rock in fast current and climb wet rock faces on the way upstream. Males in this group are usually more colourful than females. FishBase gives a maximum of 2 in SL for this species; a detailed colour description has not been compiled here.
Habitat
FishBase says the species occurs in swift, clear, high-gradient streams with a slab and boulder-strewn bottom, sometimes with coarse gravel, at depths down to about 16 ft. It was observed swimming in strong currents rather than attached to the rock surface as other sicydiines usually are. Its range is given as New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Futuna. Measured water chemistry has not been published.
Feeding
Lentipes species are generally regarded as carnivores that take small invertebrates and insect larvae from the stream bed. The diet of this species has not been described specifically.
Mating
Mating has not been described for this species. In better-studied sicydiines, males hold small territories on stream rock and court females at a nest site.
Breeding
Sicydiine gobies are amphidromous: eggs are laid in fresh water, the larvae drift to sea, and the post-larvae return to rivers months later. Details specific to this species have not been published. It cannot be assumed to breed in a closed freshwater aquarium, and trade fish are wild-collected.
In the aquarium
Species in the trade under this name are demanding. They need cool to moderate, very clean, strongly oxygenated water, brisk flow, rock surfaces with mature biofilm, and a tightly closed lid. Husbandry for Lentipes kaaea itself has not been documented, so general sicydiine practice is the only guide. Identity of fish sold under this name should be treated with caution. Its habit of holding station in strong current suggests plenty of flow.
Conservation
The IUCN assessed Lentipes kaaea as Least Concern in 2011, meaning it is not currently considered at risk. The type locality lies above a dam, a reminder that like other amphidromous gobies, it depends on unobstructed streams down to the sea, and dams, weirs and stream degradation are threats to the group.