Citron Goby Care Guide
Gobiodon citrinus is a small Indo-West Pacific coral goby with blue eye bars that lives among branching Acropora and produces toxic mucus.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Gobiodon citrinus, the Citron Goby, is a small marine coral goby of the Indo-West Pacific. FishBase describes a variable body color from yellow to yellowish green or black, with a pair of blue bars through the eye and a blue stripe along the base of the dorsal fin. It is a coral-commensal species associated with broadly branched Acropora corals.
Taxonomy
- Family: Gobiidae
- Genus: Gobiodon
- Scientific name: Gobiodon citrinus
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Red Sea south to Delagoa Bay, Mozambique, and east to Samoa, north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. It lives among colonies of broadly branched corals at depths of usually 2 to 20 m.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 50 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Maximum size: about 6.6 cm
- Lifespan: 3-6 years
Diet
FishBase notes it feeds on small invertebrates and zooplankton. In the aquarium it accepts small meaty foods such as cyclops, enriched brine shrimp and finely chopped mysis, fed twice daily.
Compatibility
Lives solitary or in pairs and is otherwise peaceful. It suits calm companions such as clownfish, cardinalfish and wrasses; lionfish and other predators should be avoided. The species produces toxic mucus as a defensive mechanism.
Reef compatibility
Reef-safe with the caveat that it perches on branching Acropora and may occasionally nip at small-polyp stony coral polyps. It is otherwise harmless to the reef and depends on branching corals for shelter.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 28 June 2018).
Gobiodon citrinus Breeding Guide
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.