Range: Western Indian Ocean: Maldives southward to South Africa, and also reported from the Andaman Sea

Size: Up to 4 inches (10 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabit coral reefs and lagoons

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 - 82°F (22 - 28°C) and their natural diet consists mainly of small benthic invertebrate and plankton. Lives in burrows with the alphaeid shrimp "Alpheus randalli." Requires a meaty diet, i.e., enriched brine shrimp, mysis, finely chopped fish or shrimp flesh, with one or two feedings per day. They not be housed with aggressive fishes such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or angelfishes. Small sinking enriched shrimp meal pellets are an excellent way of keeping them well fed. This bottom dwelling animal should have a course substrate (2 - 4 mm) and some rubble to move around as desired. Rarely seen in the trade.

Aquarium Suitability: *