Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus
There are over thirty species of watchman gobies with new species still being identified. These fish sit on sandy sea beds and have a mutual relationship with a shrimp. The shrimp and the fish live together in a small burrow which keeps them safe from predators.
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Safe for Now
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
At the Aquarium
They may be viewed in the <em>Tropical Reef gallery.
Geographic Distribution
They are found in the Indian and Western Pacific oceans and the Red Sea.
Habitat
Watchman gobies live in tropical waters on sandy bottoms up to 25 meters (80 feet) deep. As a burrowing animal, they are found in the sand bed of coastal reefs, lagoons, mangrove swamps, and tide pools.
Physical Characteristics
Watchman gobies have compressed faces with their eyes positioned high on their head. They come in a range of colors with stripes and spots often marking their bodies and fins. Watchman gobies do exhibit sexual dimorphism (physical differences between male and female fish) such as color, fin shape, and jaw length.
Size
Watchman gobies grow up to 15 centimeters (6 inches).
Diet
Watchman gobies eat small invertebrates such as amphipods, copepods, bivalves, and worms. They can also eat algae!
Reproduction
The females lay several hundred eggs in a burrow; males fertilize the laid eggs. The male guards the eggs from predators and provides oxygen for the eggs by fanning them with his fins.
Watchman gobies can change their sex from male to female and female to male in order to create breeding pairs.
Behavior
One to two gobies will live with one to two shrimp in a burrow. The burrow is maintained by the shrimp and guarded by the gobies. The whole group retreats into the burrow at night, and the shrimp seal up the opening.
Adaptation
These fish have a mutualistic relationship with alpheid (pistol or snapping) shrimp. The shrimp build a burrow that is guarded by the goby. The shrimp and goby have a complex, tactile communication system that involves the fish touching the shrimps’ antennae. The shrimp have been observed cleaning some species of watchman goby.
Studies have shown that the gobies are at higher risk for predation when they no longer have their shrimp partner.
Longevity
Under human care, they may live over six years.
Conservation
The watchman goby species are popular for use in home aquariums. Some of these species are starting to be bred under human care to reduce the amount taken from the wild.
Special Notes
The watchman goby and its symbiotic shrimp communicate by touching the shrimp’s antennae!
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Safe for Now
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
They may be viewed in the <em>Tropical Reef gallery.
They are found in the Indian and Western Pacific oceans and the Red Sea.
Watchman gobies live in tropical waters on sandy bottoms up to 25 meters (80 feet) deep. As a burrowing animal, they are found in the sand bed of coastal reefs, lagoons, mangrove swamps, and tide pools.
Watchman gobies have compressed faces with their eyes positioned high on their head. They come in a range of colors with stripes and spots often marking their bodies and fins. Watchman gobies do exhibit sexual dimorphism (physical differences between male and female fish) such as color, fin shape, and jaw length.
Watchman gobies grow up to 15 centimeters (6 inches).
Watchman gobies eat small invertebrates such as amphipods, copepods, bivalves, and worms. They can also eat algae!
The females lay several hundred eggs in a burrow; males fertilize the laid eggs. The male guards the eggs from predators and provides oxygen for the eggs by fanning them with his fins.
Watchman gobies can change their sex from male to female and female to male in order to create breeding pairs.
One to two gobies will live with one to two shrimp in a burrow. The burrow is maintained by the shrimp and guarded by the gobies. The whole group retreats into the burrow at night, and the shrimp seal up the opening.
These fish have a mutualistic relationship with alpheid (pistol or snapping) shrimp. The shrimp build a burrow that is guarded by the goby. The shrimp and goby have a complex, tactile communication system that involves the fish touching the shrimps’ antennae. The shrimp have been observed cleaning some species of watchman goby.
Studies have shown that the gobies are at higher risk for predation when they no longer have their shrimp partner.
Under human care, they may live over six years.
The watchman goby species are popular for use in home aquariums. Some of these species are starting to be bred under human care to reduce the amount taken from the wild.
The watchman goby and its symbiotic shrimp communicate by touching the shrimp’s antennae!