Panamanian Greenbanded Goby

Tigrigobius panamensis

Also known as Green Banded Goby, Elacatinus panamensis

SaltwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 1.2 in (3 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Southwestern Caribbean, Atlantic coast of Panama
Family: Gobiidae

Overview

This goby is peaceful, reef safe, and completely trustworthy with corals and shrimp, which makes it a strong choice for nano and pico reefs. Keep it singly, as a pair, or as a small group with plenty of crevices, and feed small pellets and frozen foods.

In the wild

Known only from the Caribbean coast of Panama, from Colon east through the San Blas Islands, in shallow water close to shore. It hugs rock, rubble, and reef crevices rather than hovering in the open.

Good to know

Described by Benjamin Victor in 2010, this fish looks nearly identical to the familiar greenbanded goby, Tigrigobius multifasciatus, yet carries around 11 percent genetic divergence from it. It is tiny even by goby standards, with adults around 3 cm, green bodied with thin pale bars and a red streak through the eye.

Did you know

Captive-bred fish come from Bocas Mariculture, a small hatchery on the same stretch of Panamanian coast where the species lives in the wild. The fish is naturally short lived and lays small clutches, so the breeder is always raising its next generation of broodstock.

Tank mates

Panamanian Greenbanded Goby is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.