At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small shrimp goby
A tiny, slender shrimp goby with a white body marked by orange stripes. Adults show vivid yellow, orange and blue tones, while youngsters are more subdued. Its cupped pelvic fins nearly meet beneath the gill covers and act like a little stand while it watches over its burrow.31
Personality what they are like
Peaceful and a little shy, it stays close to its burrow. Pairs live together calmly, but two fish of the same sex may quarrel.31
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Hovers a few centimetres above its burrow entrance most of the day, darting down if startled.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Moderate care. Provide a sandy bed for burrowing, calm and peaceful tank mates, and a lid. Captive-raised fish are available.3
Home where they are happiest
A reef aquarium of about 75 to 115 litres (20 to 30 US gallons) with a sand bed and some rubble. Suggested water: 22 to 26 C (72 to 78 F), pH 8.1 to 8.4, specific gravity 1.023 to 1.025. Reef safe.3
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A carnivore. Offer small frozen or live foods such as mysis and brine shrimp.3
Company who they like around
Usually found in pairs in the wild, sharing a burrow with the red-and-white banded pistol shrimp Alpheus randalli. A pair with a shrimp partner shows its most natural behaviour.123
The story where it all began
The yasha goby was only described in 2001 by Yoshino and Shimada from the western Pacific. Its unusual looks and shrimp partnership made it a sought-after reef fish, and it is now also raised in captivity.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It partners with the red-and-white barred pistol shrimp Alpheus randalli, and the pair share one burrow.1
- 2
Pairs hover together just above the sand at their burrow entrance.1
- 3
It was not formally described by science until 2001.1
- 4
Its pelvic fins are cupped and nearly joined, letting it prop itself up to keep watch.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 27 August 2020)1
- Taxonomy
- Described by Yoshino and Shimada in 20011
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Yasha Goby. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Salinity checkevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water testevery week
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Glass cleanevery week
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Stonogobiops yasha fishbase.seused for range, size, depth, pairs, shrimp partner, describer, IUCN
- Wikipedia: Stonogobiops yasha en.wikipedia.orgused for habitat, depth, commensal shrimp
- Saltwaterfish.com: Yasha Shrimp Goby saltwaterfish.comused for aquarium care, tank size, water parameters, appearance, lifespan
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.