All fish / Gobiidae

Wheeler's watchman goby

Amblyeleotris wheeleri

Also known as wheeler's shrimp goby, gorgeous prawn goby, gorgeous shrimp goby, wheeler's prawn goby, wheeleri goby, pink-banded shrimp goby, wheeler goby, ヤマブキハゼ, 威氏钝塘鳢, 红斑虾虎

A slim pale goby crossed by broad red to orange bands, with small yellow or blue spots on the head and body. It is kept for its striking colours and for the partnership it forms with alpheid pistol shrimps, sharing a burrow while the goby keeps watch at the entrance.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

115 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a mated pair; one per tank unless paired

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood and small sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Fiji, north to Japan and south to Australia

Breeding

Pairs spawn inside their burrow and the male guards the eggs. Spawning sometimes happens in reef tanks, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae is rarely achieved and nearly all trade fish are wild-caught.

Good to know

Give it a deep sand bed with rubble and a tight-fitting lid, as startled gobies may jump out. It quarrels with other shrimp gobies and can be bullied or eaten by large, aggressive tankmates.