Christmas Goby

Care

The Christmas Goby is known from the tropical Western Atlantic, from the Bahamas to northern South America, where it inhabits tidal zones and shallow limestone reefs often in association with urchins. Like most 'Nano gobies' this is a charismatic fish that makes a wonderful addition to the reef aquarium. As the largest individual in a group will become male, putting pairs or groups together normally results in spawning. Selecting specimens with a size difference will help new groups resolve dynamics with minimal violence. With regards to compatibility, these fishes are ideal for community reef aquaria and will generally ignore other species that don't intrude on their favoured hiding spots. Members of this genus are known to exhibit cleaning behaviour in the wild and this may be seen in captivity. As these fish are for life and not just for Christmas, they may also be seen labelled as Green Banded Goby. 

Feeding

Will consume a wide range of suitable dried foods and frozen fare including Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, finely shaved krill/prawns etc. Feed small amounts 3 times per day.

Breeding

Christmas Gobies have been bred successfully both on a commercial basis and in the home aquarium. Demersal eggs will be laid in a hidden cave and cared for by the parents. The larvae can be fed on zooplankton and small rotifers, moving on to larger foodstuffs (such as baby brineshrimp) as they grow and metamorphose into small versions of the adults after approximately 30 days.