Encyclopaedia
Cleaner Goby
Elacatinus genie
A famous and brightly colored cleaner goby featuring a yellow neon stripe on its snout, ideal for nano reefs.
- Family
- Gobiidae
- Origin
- Atlantico occidentale: endemico delle isole Bahamas e coste della Florida meridionale.
- Origin
- Tropical oceans and reefsExtra-Amazon South AmericaNorth AmericaEurope, Mediterranean, and West Asia
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
Share
23 °C - 27 °C
8.1 - 8.4
Marine
Bottom
4.5 cm
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Subtropical Western Atlantic: endemic to the Bahamas and southern Florida. Found on coral heads and rocky reefs down to 15 meters.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Gobiidae. Features a slender, cylindrical body with pelvic fins fused into a cup. Reaches 4.5 cm in length.
Social Behavior: Peaceful and cooperative. Establishes cleaning stations on coral heads, using a bobbing swimming motion to attract client fish.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Black body with a distinct neon yellow stripe on the head that fades to blue-white along the body. No sexual dimorphism.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Suitable for nano reefs of at least 40 liters. Provide a soft sand bed and plenty of small caves or holes in the rockwork. A secure lid is recommended.
Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds on ectoparasites and zooplankton. In captivity, accepts fine frozen foods (copepods, rotifers, cyclops) and tiny prepared granules.
Water Quality: Maintain stable values: temperature 23-27 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.025. Standard reef filtration is recommended.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Peaceful with all fish. Welcomed by larger tankmates due to its cleaning services. Do not house with predatory species.
Aquarium Breeding: Lays adhesive eggs inside small crevices or empty shells. Males guard the nest. Raising pelagic larvae is difficult.
Risks and Diseases: Known to jump if startled. Highly resistant to typical skin parasites due to its active cleaning behavior and mucus layer.
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Pacifico
- Diet
- Carnivoro
- Tank level
- Bottom
- Minimum group
- 1
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank volume
- 40 L
- GH
- n/a
- KH
- 8 dKH - 12 dKH
- TDS
- n/a
- Conductivity
- n/a
- Sex ratio
- Singolo o Coppia
- Feeding frequency
- 3 volte al giorno
- Bioload
- Low
- Flow
- Moderato
- Jump risk
- Covered tank required
- Reproduction
- Ermafrodita proteroginico. Depone uova adesive all'interno di fessure rocciose.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Offre servizi di pulizia ai pesci dell'acquario. Non compatibile con predatori grandi.
Ecological Estimates & Biological Models
- Trophic level
- 3.4 ± 0.3 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.5
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.01023, b = 3.01
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Other recommended species with similar care requirements and water parameters.
