TankBud

Whitecap goby

Lotilia klausewitzi

Also known as White Cap Prawn Goby, Whitecap Shrimpgoby, Dancer Shrimpgoby, Lotilia graciliosa

SaltwaterFish

Whitecap goby (Lotilia klausewitzi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gobiidae
Origin
Western Pacific, southern Japan to the Great Barrier Reef

Overview

The whitecap goby is a small shrimp goby for a calm nano reef tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The whitecap goby fans its black-spotted pectoral fins in a slow flutter as it hovers. That flutter is why some call it the dancer shrimpgoby.

Caring for the whitecap goby

Keep whitecap gobies in a nano tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more, with a tight lid because they jump. A partner pistol shrimp is optional in captivity.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Whitecap gobies need frequent small meals.

They are peaceful and reef safe, and they do fine alone or in a group. They are shy, so choose tank mates with caution and keep them in a calm tank rather than a busy community. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

Pacific whitecap gobies were long called Lotilia graciliosa. A 2012 review showed that the Red Sea fish is a separate species. It named the Pacific fish Lotilia klausewitzi, honoring the ichthyologist who first described the genus. The whitecap goby is dark chocolate brown, with a clean white cap running from the snout to the first dorsal fin. For years most hobbyists only ever saw it in photographs, and captive breeding has only recently made it available at all.

In the wild

Whitecap gobies live in the western Pacific, from southern Japan to the Great Barrier Reef, anywhere from 1 to 50 m deep. They live on sand and rubble patches around reef edges, lagoons and outer slopes. Each one shares a burrow with a pistol shrimp and hovers just above the entrance while its partner digs.

Common questions

What size tank does a whitecap goby need?

A whitecap goby needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a whitecap goby need?

A whitecap goby is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a whitecap goby get?

An adult whitecap goby reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Related species