All fish / Gobiidae

Rainford's goby

Amblygobius rainfordi

Also known as rainford goby, court jester goby, old glory goby, rainfords goby, rainford's sand goby, サラサハゼ, 雷氏钝塘鳢, 彩虹虾虎

A small goby with a greenish body crossed lengthwise by thin orange-red stripes edged in white, plus a dark, white-ringed spot on the rear dorsal fin. Reefkeepers like it for its striking colours and calm nature, and because it spends the day grazing over rocks and sand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Omnivore: sifts filamentous algae, diatoms and small invertebrates from live rock and sand; offer mysis, copepods and marine algae-based foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs in a burrow or under rubble, and the male guards them until they hatch into tiny planktonic larvae. Spawning sometimes happens in aquariums, but rearing the larvae is very difficult and seldom achieved.

Good to know

It often starves in new or sparsely stocked systems, so it needs a mature reef with plenty of live rock that supports algae and small invertebrates. Avoid keeping two males together and use a covered tank, as it can jump.