All fish / Gobiidae

Twinspot Goby

Signigobius biocellatus

Also known as twin spot goby, signal goby, crab-eye goby, crab eye goby, twinspot signal goby, two spot goby, twin-spot goby, ヤジリハゼ, 双斑虾虎, 双眼斑虾虎鱼

A small, mottled brown and cream goby with two tall dorsal fins, each carrying a dark eyespot ringed in colour, so the fish looks like a crab when it raises them. It hops jerkily over the sand in pairs and constantly sifts mouthfuls of substrate, which makes it a charming and useful sand stirrer.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

A mated pair; keep only one pair per tank

Diet

Carnivore: sifts sand for small invertebrates; offer live and frozen mysis, brine shrimp and copepods several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines and Indonesia to New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Palau and the Great Barrier Reef

Breeding

Pairs dig a burrow under rubble or rock where the eggs are laid and guarded. Spawning sometimes happens in aquariums, but raising the tiny larvae is very rare.

Good to know

Needs a mature tank with a deep, live sand bed full of small fauna, and many starve without regular feeding; buy as an established pair. Avoid boisterous or predatory tankmates and competing sand sifters.