Yellow Watchman Goby

The Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) is a charismatic, golden-yellow fish with bright blue spots and a comically oversized upturned mouth that gives it an expression of perpetual surprise. Its most compelling behavior is the symbiotic partnership it forms with the Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus): the nearly blind shrimp excavates and maintains a shared burrow while the sharp-eyed goby stands guard at the entrance, retreating inside when danger approaches and communicating safety via tail-touch signals. Observing this partnership in a well-aquascaped reef is one of the most rewarding behaviors in the hobby. Yellow Watchman Gobies are reef safe, generally peaceful toward most tank mates, and adapt well to a variety of frozen meaty foods. Provide a sandy substrate of at least 2 inches for natural burrowing behavior.