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Yellow Watchman Goby
Scientific Name
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Common Names
Yellow Shrimp Goby, YWG
Size
Max is 3 inches but usually purchased at 1-2 inches
Region
Eastern Asia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, South Asia, Indo-Pacific
Description
Bright yellow with blue dots on head and upper body. Females darken as they age. Can have five vertical black stripes extending throughout the body.
Tank Size
10 gallons or larger.
Temperament
Peaceful, mainly due to the fact that they are always in the bottom part of the tank. They can be aggressive if a fish comes close to their cave. They will open their mouth extremely wide to fend off intruders. Not to be mixed with other gobies or similar looking fish. May get picked on by aggressive tank mates.
Current
Any, not excessively strong
Hardiness
One of the easiest gobies to care for. If provided with good water quality, they will be a very healthy fish. Rarely gets ich or other marine parasites. Adapts to a wide range of tanks.
Behavior
It will dig a burrow or choose a cave to live in. The acclimation period is the hardest because they are known to jump. Keep a closed top to prevent escape. When established, they will eat pods on the sand and rocks. They can be very social and recognize when food will come. When startled they dart into the burrow at very fast speed. Great paired with pistol shrimps in the Alpheus family especially the tiger pistol shrimp. The shrimp will stand guard and find food while the goby builds the burrow. Only add one per tank unless it is a bonded pair.
Feeding
Will eat virtually anything once well established. If hesitating to eat, feed mysis soaked with garlic. Feed flakes, pellets, frozen, and anything that is for carnivorous/omnivorous fish. Add some vegetable matter to the diet by sea weed or kelp flakes.
Other Notes
May breed in aquaria but the fry have a planktonic stage which makes them hard to keep alive. No recorded events of successful rearing of fry.
GioReef 07/13/2009
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