Gobiodon citrinus Breeding Guide

Gobiodon citrinus is a coral-perching goby that clears a patch on Acropora and spawns there under male care. This guide covers its reversible sex change, the captive spawn site and what limits larval rearing.

Overview

Gobiodon citrinus is a small Indo-Pacific coral goby that lives among Acropora colonies, perching within the branches and feeding around them (Tropical Fish Hobbyist). It is typically found in pairs or small groups in the wild. Its compact size and willingness to spawn in aquaria make it one of the more approachable coral gobies for breeding attempts.

Sexing

The species is a hermaphrodite that can change sex and even reverse a change, so that any two conspecifics sharing the same coral branches can become a viable pair (Tropical Fish Hobbyist). This flexibility means external sexing is unreliable; pairs are formed by housing two compatible fish and letting one transition.

Conditioning

Conditioning relies on stable reef parameters and frequent small carnivore feeds such as enriched mysis and finely chopped marine foods. Because the species does eat some coral polyps, a settled pair on a branched host or substitute structure shows the territorial perching that precedes spawning (Tropical Fish Hobbyist).

Breeding Setup

A breeding setup gives the pair branched Acropora or a comparable structure on which to establish a spawning site; the fish strip polyps from a small area to create a clean spot for eggs (Tropical Fish Hobbyist). Captive reports also note spawning on the upper outside edge of a clay pot, so a smooth raised surface can serve where live coral is unavailable.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The pair prepares a nest site and deposits eggs there, with spawning reported as often as roughly every four days in captivity (search of Tropical Fish Hobbyist / breeder reports). Specific egg counts and exact triggers for G. citrinus are not given in the cited sources and are omitted. As in related Gobiodon, the male tends the demersal eggs through hatching.

Egg & Fry Care

G. citrinus spawns often in captivity, though young are only occasionally raised (Tropical Fish Hobbyist). Like other coral gobies the male guards the demersal eggs, and the hatched larvae are planktonic; rearing them requires a dedicated tank with very small first foods, which the cited sources do not detail for this species.

Common Challenges

Getting spawns is comparatively easy; raising the larvae is not, and the cited sources note that young are only occasionally reared. Tiny first-feeding larvae and the absence of a detailed published protocol for this species are the limiting factors, alongside the goby's mild coral-nipping habit in display tanks.