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Randall's prawn goby

Amblyeleotris randalli

Also known as Randall's Shrimpgoby, Sailfin Shrimpgoby, Gold-Barred Shrimp Goby

SaltwaterFish

Randall's prawn goby (Amblyeleotris randalli)
Chika Watanabe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
114 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Western Pacific (Moluccas to the Solomon Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the northern Great Barrier Reef)

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.

Symbiotic relationships

Shrimp gobies and pistol shrimp

A pistol shrimp can barely see, but it digs and maintains a burrow all day. The goby that shares it has sharp eyes and does no digging. It sits at the entrance as a lookout, and the shrimp keeps one antenna resting on the goby's body whenever it is outside. A flick of the goby's tail sends the shrimp back down the hole, and a harder threat sends them both. At dusk they retire together and the shrimp seals the entrance for the night. The shrimp gets an early warning system, and the goby gets a home it could not build.

This partnership is easy to keep and it rewards watching. Give them a sand bed at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep with some rubble to hold the tunnel, add the two together or the shrimp first, and feed sinking food near the burrow mouth. The snap of the shrimp's claw is a small cavitation bubble collapsing, and you will hear it across the room. Pairs form readily between strangers, but the genera matter: the yellow watchman, pink-spotted, Wheeler's, orange-spot and Randall's gobies take a tiger pistol shrimp, while the yasha, hi-fin red banded and pinkbar gobies pair with Randall's pistol shrimp.

Every symbiotic relationship in the catalog

Common questions

What size tank does a Randall's prawn goby need?

A Randall's prawn goby needs at least 30 gal (114 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Randall's prawn goby need?

A Randall's prawn goby is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Randall's prawn goby get?

An adult Randall's prawn goby reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

Related species