Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby

Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby is part of the Gobiidae family; this goby burrows into the sand and waits for shrimp to come by, though it does not eat all types of shrimp. The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby is named for the bright orange spots on its body.

All in a Name

The scientific name of the Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby is the Amblyeleotris guttata. It is also called the spotted prawn goby, orange spotted goby and orangespotted shrimp goby.

Physical Description

The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby has a maximum size of three and a half inches or nine centimeters. The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby have white bodies with orange spots, hence the names referring to the orange spots. Each spot has a brown outline.
These Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby fish are very hardy and easy to take care of.

Behavior

This Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby burrows itself in the floor of the ocean or your tank, watching for shrimp that it catches and eats. Provide a deep layer of sand and rubble in which they can burrow or hide. Some of them will sift sand, some will clean the tank and others will simply pair up with burrowing shrimps. Sifters tend to grow larger than those that burrow and live with symbiotic shrimp.
The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby fish will eat flake food and sinking pellets. The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby will eat chopped up sea food. Give them enriched brine shrimp, chopped table shrimp, krill, squid, clam, mussels, and mysid shrimp. They need to be fed two to three times a day.
The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby is not aggressive except toward other members of its own species and other bottom dwellers. You can reduce the aggression by adding the gobies to the tank at the same time, as long as there is enough space for each to have its own territory. Do not put tangs in a tank with trigger fish or large predators that may eat them. They get along with other species of small fish.
The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby species can jump, and your aquarium containing them needs to be covered. If you have two in the same aquarium, they may breed without special accommodation.
The fish issues a loud snap when it wants to deter predators or warn the symbiotic shrimp of threats.

Habitat

The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby fish do best in water from 72F to 78F or 22C to 26C. Their ideal conditioners are a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.
This Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby fish thrives in a fish only tank. They need at least 30 gallons or 120 liters. They enjoy being in a tank with Alphaeus species of shrimps, but this is not necessary. The orange spotted shrimp goby actually lives in symbiosis with that species, letting that shrimp dig a burrow they then both share.
The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby species is reef safe, but it may eat ornamental shrimp. If you have Alphaeus species of shrimps paired off with Orange spotted shrimp gobies, they don’t need extra space.


Range

This Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby species is found in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean. It is common around the Solomon Islands.

Trivia

The Gobiidae family contains over 2000 species identified so far. This species was identified in 1938.