Ceram Clown Goby

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Tropical Indo-Pacific: from Indonesia and the Philippines to the Fiji Islands. Inhabits shallow lagoons, living exclusively within the branches of live Acropora corals.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Gobiidae, genus Gobiodon. Features a deep, scaleless body covered in a toxic, bitter mucus. Reaches a maximum length of 3.5 cm.

Social Behavior: Sedentary species that spends its life perched on its host coral branches. Lives in pairs and is territorial towards other Gobiodon species.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Uniformly dark brown or blackish color, sometimes with olive green undertones. No visible color differences between sexes. Bidirectional hermaphrodites.

Aquarium Setup: Perfect for nano reefs of at least 40 liters. Live branching Acropora corals are highly recommended to provide natural shelter.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds on zooplankton and host coral mucus. Feed 2-3 times daily with very fine frozen foods like cyclops, copepods, rotifers, and finely minced mysis.

Water Quality: Demands stable reef parameters: temperature 24-28 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.025. Low nutrient levels are required to keep host corals healthy.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Peaceful towards other reef tankmates. Avoid housing with large predators or fast-feeding species that can outcompete them.

Aquarium Breeding: Lay adhesive eggs on a cleared patch under a branch of Acropora coral. Parents actively guard the clutch.

Risks and Diseases: High risk of starvation if not fed fine foods frequently. The death or removal of its host coral causes extreme stress.