Barsnout Goby

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Western Caribbean: from Yucatan (Mexico) south to Panama. Found on coral reef flats and outer reefs associated with star corals.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Gobiidae. Slender body with pelvic fins modified into an adhesive suction cup. Reaches a maximum length of 4.0 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful. Acts as a cleaner goby, establishing cleaning stations on large coral heads to attract client fish.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Transparent to whitish base color with a broad dark horizontal band. Distinct dark bar across the snout. No obvious sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Suitable for nano reef aquariums of at least 40 liters. Provide small rock caves and a soft substrate. Secure lid is mandatory.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds on skin parasites and zooplankton. Accepts fine frozen foods like copepods, rotifers, and tiny pellets.

Water Quality: Maintain stable marine parameters: temp 23-27 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.025. Standard reef filtration.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Peaceful with all fish. Valued by larger tankmates. Do not house with predatory species.

Aquarium Breeding: Spawns in small cavities. The male guards the eggs until hatching. Raising pelagic larvae is challenging.

Risks and Diseases: Known to jump if startled. Highly resistant to typical skin parasites due to its thick mucus coat.