Common name: Orangespotted Shrimp Goby, Spotted Prawn Goby, Orange Spotted Goby
Scientific name: Amblyeleotris guttata
Max size: 3.5 in / 9 cm
pH: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.020-1.025
Temperature: 72-78ºF (22-26°C)

The Orangespotted shrimp goby has a white body with orange spots. The spots have a brown outlining. This goby lives in a symbiotic partnership with blind alpheid shrimps in the wild. The shrimp digs a burrow for itself and the goby while the goby keeps an eye out for the shrimp.

The Orangespotted shrimp goby, or Spotted prawn goby as it is also called, originates from the western parts of the Pacific Ocean and the eastern parts of the Indian Ocean.  It is common in the tropical fish trade and suitable for beginners as it is hardy, easy to care for and goes well in a "fish only" tank. It is not very aggressive except towards other specimens of the same species and other similar bottom dwellers. They will however protect their burrow aggressively if another fish tries to enter it. They can be kept with most small friendly species. Never keep the Orangespotted shrimp goby with aggressive species such as trigger fish. They like to have shrimps (Alpheus species) to live with but this is not necessary.

Orangespotted Shrimp Goby care and aquarium setup

Minimum aquarium size for keeping the Orangespotted shrimp goby is 30 gallon / 120 L. The aquarium should be decorated so that there are enough hiding places. They prefer an aquarium with a "deep" bed of fine sand and rubble. If kept with blind alpheid shrimps the shrimp will dig a burrow for itself and the goby in the sand bed. The Orangespotted shrimp goby is reef safe with the exception that it might eat small ornamental shrimps. It is important that the aquarium contains both a lot of open space and a lot of hiding places.

The Orangespotted shrimp goby is a good jumper and a well covered aquarium is a must.

Ideal water conditions for the Orangespotted shrimp goby are pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025 and temperature 72-78ºF (22-26°C).

Feeding Orangespotted Shrimp Goby

The Orangespotted shrimp goby is easy to feed and will accept flake food and sinking pellets. They prefer a high protein diet and sinking shrimp pellets combined with chopped up sea food makes an excellent diet for this large shrimp goby species. Feed 2-3 times a day.

Breeding Orangespotted Shrimp Goby

This species is easy to breed (for a marine fish) and if you keep a pair of Orangespotted shrimp gobies under good conditions they might spawn without being provided with a special breeding aquarium etc. Good conditions include perfect water quality, stable water parameters and a stress free environment. They seem to be more likely to spawn if they are kept with alpheid shrimps but there are reports of successful spawnings without the presence of shrimps as well. The fry are small and need to be fed very small food. The fry should be feed at least every 2-3 hours, preferably even more often.

Goby Articles:

Pinkspotted Shrimp Goby – Cryptocentrus leptocephalus
Randall's Shrimp Goby – Amblyeleotris randalli
Yellow Clown Goby – Gobiodon okinawae
Yellow Watchman Goby – Cyrptocentrus cinctus