Diamond Watchman Goby

Valenciennea puellaris

The Diamond Watchman Goby referred to also as a Pretty Prawn, Orange Spotted Diamond and Orange Dashed Goby are a brilliant white color splashed with streaks of orange which flash in the light of the aquarium. This variation of Goby is very passive towards other tank mates however caution is advised to only house one of this species per enclosure due to its territorial nature unless a pair of breeding Gobies are introduced at the same time. The sandy bottom waters of the Fiji Islands and Sri Lanka in the Indo-Pacific Ocean are home to the Valenciennea puellaris and allow for its burrowing habits and extremely active lifestyle of tunneling under the live rocks, sand, and any decorations it can get under or through.

Watchman Goby are quite easy to keep, their diet of primarily meaty food can consist of live worms, brine shrimp, and occasionally flake food. The Watchman Goby is safe to keep in reef tanks, provided precautions are taken to insure the tunneling and burrowing will not cause a collapse and injure the living landscape or other inhabitants. Reaching 6 inches in length and requiring a minimum of 50 gallons, the Watchman Goby is valued for its long life and very impressive work ethic at cleaning and keeping algae growth in living sand at a minimum.