Link's goby
Amblygobius linki
Also known as Linki Goby, Link's Sleeper Goby
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 2.8 in
- 7 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Reef safe
- Reef safe with caution
- Family
- Gobiidae
- Origin
- Western Pacific, Ryukyu Islands to the Philippines and New Guinea
Overview
Link's goby is a peaceful, bottom-dwelling sand sifter for a reef tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.
Did you know
Link's goby is valued by keepers as a frag groomer. It will pull soft strands of hair algae off new coral frags before the algae has a chance to take hold.
Caring for the Link's goby
Give Link's gobies at least 20 gal (75 L) and a tight lid, since they jump when startled. They stay near the bottom, sifting sand and picking at hair algae as they go. Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.
Link's gobies are peaceful and do fine alone or in a group, and they form pairs readily. Choose their tank mates with some care. They rate reef safe with caution, since like any sifter they can drop light sand showers near low-placed corals. Breeding them is hard.
Good to know
Amblygobius linki was described by Albert Herre in 1927. It is striped nose to tail in black and white, and mature fish add small red spots on the dorsal fin. It is a gentler sand sifter than its larger cousin, the dragon sleeper goby.
In the wild
Link's goby is a western Pacific fish recorded from the Ryukyu Islands, the Philippines and New Guinea. It has an unusual taste in real estate. It lives on silty mud flats among mangrove roots, in stream mouths and even in saline lakes. There it works the bottom in the top few meters of water.
Common questions
What size tank does a Link's goby need?
A Link's goby needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Link's goby need?
A Link's goby is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a Link's goby eat?
A Link's goby sifts the sand for food and picks at hair algae as it goes.
How big does a Link's goby get?
An adult Link's goby reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).
Related species
3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Buan's sleeper goby
Amblygobius buanensis
3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Dragon sleeper goby
Amblygobius phalaena
5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)13 gal (50 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Starry goby
Asterropteryx semipunctata
2.8 in (7 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)
2.6 in (6.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Citron clown goby
Gobiodon citrinus
2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Hector's goby
Koumansetta hectori
3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Rainford's goby
Koumansetta rainfordi
3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)