Randall's Prawn Goby

Care at a glance

Overview

Reef safe and generally easygoing with other fish, though it can be territorial and even aggressive toward its own species or similar shrimp gobies competing for the same burrow site. It does best with calm tankmates and a stable setup, since it can be slow to settle in and needs regular feedings of mysis, enriched brine shrimp, and chopped seafood, more often while it is still adjusting to a new tank.

In the wild

Lives on sand flats and slopes near reef edges, sharing a burrow with an Alpheus pistol shrimp such as A. randalli or A. bellulus. The sand bed should run 2 to 3 inches deep with a mix of fine aragonite and some coarser grains or rubble so the burrow holds its shape, with the entrance tucked beside a piece of rock. It jumps readily, so a well-fitted lid is required.

Good to know

This goby is easy to recognize by its tall, sail-like first dorsal fin marked with a dark eyespot and orange bars running across a pale body. It can live 5 to 8 years in a well-run aquarium, a long lifespan for a fish this size. Like other Amblyeleotris species, it raises and lowers its dorsal fin as a signal to the shrimp waiting just inside the burrow entrance.

Did you know

When a predator gets too close, this goby's pistol shrimp partner can snap its oversized claw fast enough to stun small prey with a shockwave, and the goby's warning dash into the burrow is often the shrimp's only signal that trouble is near.

Related species

• 

  Orange-Spot Prawn Goby

  Amblyeleotris guttata

  4.3 in (11 cm)30 gal (114 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Pinkbar Goby

  Amblyeleotris aurora

  4.3 in (11 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Wheeler's Prawn Goby

  Amblyeleotris wheeleri

  3.9 in (10 cm)30 gal (114 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Yellow Watchman Goby

  Cryptocentrus cinctus

  3.5 in (9 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Sixspot Sleeper Goby

  Valenciennea sexguttata

  5.5 in (14 cm)40 gal (150 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Pink-Spotted Watchman Goby

  Cryptocentrus leptocephalus

  3.9 in (10 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)