Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby - Amblyeleotris guttata

Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby (Amblyeleotris guttata)

The Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby, Amblyeleotris guttata, is a peaceful marine goby with a pale grey to whitish body, bold darker barring and bright orange spotting across the head and body. Also known as the Spotted Prawn Goby or Orange Spotted Prawn Goby, this attractive bottom-dwelling species is popular in reef aquariums for its watchful behaviour and ability to form a symbiotic partnership with suitable pistol shrimp. It is best kept in a mature marine aquarium with fine sand, stable water quality, peaceful tank mates and secure rockwork.

Common Name:
Orange Spotted Prawn Goby, Spotted Prawn Goby, Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby, Orange Spot Goby, Orange Spot Tiger Goby.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Amblyeleotris guttata

Maximum Size:
Usually around 8–10 cm.

Water Type:
Marine

Origin / Natural Habitat:
Western Pacific. In the wild, Orange Spotted Shrimp Gobies are found in shallow reef habitats, sandy areas, rubble zones and lagoon environments where they live close to burrows, often in association with alpheid pistol shrimp. They use sandy substrate and rock edges for shelter, feeding and territory.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 24–27°C
pH Range: 8.1–8.4
Hardness or Salinity: Marine salinity 1.023–1.026 specific gravity; stable reef-quality water with good oxygenation is recommended.

Temperament:
Peaceful. This species is generally safe with calm reef fish and is not aggressive, although it may defend a small burrow area from similar gobies. Avoid keeping with large predatory fish, aggressive wrasses, dottybacks or boisterous tank mates that may intimidate it or prevent it from feeding.

Diet:
Carnivorous micro-predator. Offer small meaty marine foods such as enriched mysis shrimp, brineshrimp, cyclops, copepods, finely chopped krill, fish eggs and high-quality small marine pellets. Feed small portions once or twice daily, ensuring food reaches the goby near its burrow or preferred territory.

Minimum Tank Size:
A minimum of 100 litres is recommended for a single specimen or goby-and-pistol-shrimp pairing, with larger aquariums preferred for community setups. Provide enough sandbed space and caves for natural behaviour.

Behaviour & Activity:
A bottom-dwelling goby that spends much of its time perched at the entrance of a burrow, watching the surroundings and darting back to shelter if startled. When paired with a suitable pistol shrimp, the shrimp maintains the burrow while the goby acts as a lookout. It may sift or pick lightly at the sand surface, but it is not a heavy-duty sand-cleaning species.

Reef Safe:
Reef Safe
Safe with corals and most ornamental invertebrates. It may eat tiny crustaceans, copepods and planktonic foods as part of its natural diet, but it is not a coral picker. Use care with very small ornamental shrimp, and choose compatible pistol shrimp species if attempting a symbiotic pairing.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Provide fine sand, securely placed rockwork and a mature aquarium with stable salinity. Rock should be supported on the tank base or made secure before adding sand, as pistol shrimp can excavate burrows underneath loose structures. A secure lid is strongly recommended, as gobies can jump when startled. Avoid sharp substrate, aggressive tank mates and unstable new aquariums. If pairing with a pistol shrimp, introduce both carefully and provide suitable burrow-building areas.

Suitable for:
Beginner to intermediate marine fishkeepers

Availability:
Occasional in trade / Marine import

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.