All fish / Gobiidae

Pink Spotted Watchman Goby

Cryptocentrus melanopus

Also known as pink spotted shrimp goby, pink spot watchman goby, pink shrimpgoby, singapore shrimpgoby, pink-speckled shrimpgoby, pinkspot shrimpgoby, cryptocentrus leptocephalus, pink spotted goby, 粉点虾虎

A stocky, elongate goby with greenish to olive brown dark bands and many small pink or blue edged spots on the head and body. It lives in a sand burrow, often sharing it with an alpheid pistol shrimp, and keepers value it for this partnership and its hardy nature.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, as a mated pair, or paired with a pistol shrimp

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood and meaty frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea to northern Australia

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs inside the burrow and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning sometimes happens in home aquariums, but raising the tiny planktonic larvae is difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

Gobius melanopus is an old synonym; the fish was also sold as Cryptocentrus leptocephalus. Provide deep fine sand and a tight lid, as it may jump and will eat very small shrimps or fish and quarrel with other burrowing gobies.