Green Clown Goby
From ReefPedia
Max. size: 2"
Tank size: 10 Gallons
Aggression: Non-Aggressive
Hardiness: Hardy
Reef safe: With caution. May nip at LPS and SPS coral
Avalible as captive bred: ?? Possibly ?? Not listed at ORA yet.
Physical Description
Green Clown Gobies have a semi-elongated body form, similar to clownfish, but with a more noticably rounded head. Body tapers down towards the tail, the tail flares out in a rounded ball or fan shape shape. The Dorsal fin is split into two sections.
The base color is a translucent green, given a blue cast in the head area from a patch of blue color that seems to radiate out from the cheek.
Appx. 5 solid/nearly solid red bars run vertically across the head. A line or two of small red spots runs horizontally across the back, ending at the cadual fin. Below this runs a mostly soild horizontal red line, then another line of spots, then another solid line.
The tail fin tends to be green and free of markings.
Pectoral fins are fused. (completly or only semi?)
Gobies of this genus are scaleless fish that rely on a thick mucous coat to ward off predators and disease.
They also tend to have large teeth for such a small fish. When viewed from head-on, these are very noticable
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific; Red Sea, eastern Africa to the Tuamotus north to southern Japan, south to the Great Barrier.
Or alternativly
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Tuamotu Islands, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe Island; throughout Micronesia.
While they tend to be found in shallower waters, they can be found at depths anywhere from 5-60ft. This seems to depend on the avaliblity of their preffered corals to inhabit
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Superclass: Gnathostomata Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei Superorder: Acanthopterygii Order: Perciformes Suborder: Gobioidei Family: Gobiidae Genus: Gobiodon Species: histrio
Behavior
The green Clown Goby is a mild mannered fish that makes an excellent choice for a peaceful mini-reef setup. It does not tend to start fights, nip fins, or bother any corals. It will find a few favorite perching spots, and it may defend these if if feels pestered. Given a much larger or persitent foe, it will tend to hide however.
Green Clown Gobies can be described as having a curious or laid back personalitly. They seem to like finding a sheltered spot to perch while the watch the going ons of the tank. They are still while they are perching, but tend to choose new spots at frequent enough intervals to make them intresting to watch.
In the wild Green Clown Gobies are found in small colonies, 5-10-ish individuls, living amoung the branches of Acropora coral colonies. Here they find both shelter and food, feeding oportunistily of the small crustatences that co-inhabit the corals, and any planktonic foods that may come their way. As such, providing sutible perching spots for them is the best way to ensure that they remain out in the open, instead of hiding. Acropora are not nessecary, simply spots that offer both a view, and shelter. Corals such as Colt corals, Branching leather corals, and the like, offer excellent spots for these gobies.
Green Clown Gobies may take a few days, or more, to become used to a new home. During this time they may remain in hiding. Once they feel more at ease, they should come out often. Given that they are not aggresive, they should be added before adding any highly territorial fish. They should also not be kept with fish that might eat them. They can swim fast when need be, but are not designed for long periods of fast swimming. Also the added stress of avoiding a predator would detorirate their health quickly.
Green Clown Gobies may exihbit territoral behavior towards yellow clown gobies, citron gobies, or other gobies of similar body shape and color. In a small tank, 45 gallons or less, only one is recommened. In a larger tank, multiple specimiens may be kept, it is advised to add them at the same time and to watch closley for signs of stress.
Feeding
In the wild, small crustateons such as copepods, and other items from the planktonic stream. In captivity, variety of mainly meaty foods is recomended. They should be eating well before you buy they, however, live foods can be used to entice a picky eater. Live foods also make a good supplement to frozen foods. Pellets or flake of a high qualitly can be given as part of a varied diet.
While appropriately sized food particles are the best, Gobies are not shy about grabbing a huge piece of food, and taking it back to shelter to eat.
Breeding
These fish can and will change sex to form a breeding pair. The sex change is not limited. A male can become a female, and a female can become a male. Once mating, the fish tend to clear an area around the base of a coral, or around the base of branches of a coral. The female proceedes to lay many eggs. Up to 1000. The male fertilizes the eggs after being layed. The hatching fish go through a pelargic larval stage in the planktonic stream before becoming sub-adults and finding their own home.
Social Structure
In the wild, loose groups tend to form over colonies of acropora(or other) corals. Pairs will stake out a coral head of thier own, that they do not share with others. In captivity, given a large tank, groups kept together will tend to form pairs, and choose a spot. A pair of individuals will very often beome a mated pair. This can be dependant on a lot of factors however. Given a small tank, only single idividuals, or one pair of a species is recomened. Mixing the Gobiodon species is not recomened with a small tank.
Current Views
Green Clown Gobies are not as often seen in the trade, or in peoples tanks as one might surmise from their description of being a great mini-reef fish. This may stem from the fish often arriving to stores looking very poor. Many have the caved in stomachs of a fish that has not eaten in a while, and if they do not recover from the stress, may not ever start eating again. Choose a goby that looks healty and alert, with a flat or rounded stomach, good colors, and preferable is eating.
If the trend for 10 gallon or smaller reefs continues, and if they become more widely avaliable as captive bred, all gobies should become more common.
Additional Notes
Categories: Fish | Gobies
