All fish / Gobiidae

Five-lined Coral Goby

Gobiodon quinquestrigatus

Also known as five line coral goby, fivelined coral goby, five-lined clown goby, red coral goby, five stripe clown goby, clown goby, ベニサシコバンハゼ, 五线珊瑚虾虎

A tiny, deep-bodied goby that is orange to reddish brown with five thin, bright blue vertical lines across the head and front of the body. It lives among the branches of Acropora corals and is kept for its colour and charming perching behaviour in small reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

Single or a pair

Diet

Carnivore: copepods, mysis, enriched brine shrimp and small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia to Micronesia and Samoa

Breeding

Pairs lay sticky eggs on a cleared patch of coral branch and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning happens fairly often in reef tanks, but raising the tiny planktonic larvae is difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

It is closely tied to branching Acropora and may nip coral tissue or lay eggs on it, so watch prized colonies. Skin mucus is toxic, so it should not be housed with fish that might try to eat it.