White-bellied Watchman Goby Care Guide
Cryptocentrus albidorsus is a small Western Pacific shrimp goby that shares a burrow with snapping shrimp on silty sand.
Overview
Cryptocentrus albidorsus, the White-bellied Watchman Goby, is a small marine goby from the Western Pacific. According to FishBase it has a brilliant white snout and back with brown coloration over most of the head and body marked by variable-sized white spots. It is best known for sharing a burrow with snapping (pistol) shrimp in a mutualistic partnership.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Cryptocentrus
- Scientific name: Cryptocentrus albidorsus
Habitat
FishBase records the species across the Western Pacific, including the Philippines, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands and Palau. It lives on silty sandy substrate with small boulders or large rubble at depths of about 1 to 5 m, where it occupies a burrow constructed and maintained with its shrimp partner.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Substrate: sand bed for burrowing
- Lifespan: 4-8 years
Diet
This goby is a carnivore. In the aquarium it accepts meaty marine foods such as mysis and enriched brine shrimp; feeding twice daily suits its small size and active burrow-tending behavior.
Compatibility
A peaceful bottom-dwelling species that spends most of its time near or inside its burrow. It pairs naturally with pistol shrimp and coexists with calm tankmates such as clownfish, cardinalfish and tangs. Large aggressive predators and lionfish should be avoided.
Reef compatibility
The species is reef-safe. It does not nip corals and tends sand among the rockwork; a deep sand bed with rubble lets it dig the burrow it shares with a shrimp.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 27 August 2020).