Paragobiodon xanthosomus

(Bleeker, 1852)

Emerald Coral Goby

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Kenya, Seychelles, and Chagos Islands to Samoa, north to Southern Japan, and south to Great Barrier Reef and Marshall Islands.

Size: 2 inches (4 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral reefs and lagoons in branches of Seriatopora hystrix stony coral and usually found at depths between 10 to 200 feet (3 - 60 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and coral mucus.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade having a pale yellowish to pale green body with yellow around the eye.

Can be maintained in small/nano reef or fish-only aquariums preferably having the same species coral it's found on in the wild.

Should not be housed with aggressive fishes such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or aggressive angelfishes.

Requires a meaty diet, i.e., enriched brine shrimp, mysis, finely chopped fish or shrimp flesh, and other various frozen carnivore foods, with one or two feedings per day.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Gobioidei

Family: Gobiidae

Genus: Paragobiodon

FYI: Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5