Thinking of setting up a nano aquarium and looking for a lively fish to keep in it? Or maybe your larger (reef) tank is in need of a pop of color? The cheerful canary yellow Gobiodon okinawae, better known as the yellow clown goby, may be just the thing.
Below, find everything you need to know about keeping a yellow clown goby, including where they’re from, what they eat, whether they’re reef-safe, and much more.
| Name (Common, Scientific) | Yellow clown goby, yellow coral goby, Okinawa goby, Gobiodon okinawae |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallons |
| Minimum group size | 1 |
| Temperature | 72-82 °F |
| Salinity | 1.020-1.025 |
| pH | 8.1-8.4 |
| Difficulty level | Easy to intermediate |
Yellow Clown Goby description & natural habitat
Description
The yellow clown goby is a member of the genus Gobiodon, the coral or clown gobies, which are known for their tendency to live on corals rather than burrowing in the ground like most other members of the broader Gobiidae family.
It’s not difficult to recognize a yellow clown goby. These tiny fish (max. length no more than 1.5″) do indeed sport a pretty eye-blinding shade of neon yellow coloration! They have blunt faces and a stocky body shape, which sets them apart from other more elongated goby species, and relatively short and rounded fins.
Aquarists appreciate yellow clown gobies for their comical behavior. They’re pretty fun to watch as they go about their daily business, darting between coral branches and meticulously snapping up any tasty morsels that drift too close.
Did you know? In many gobies, including this one, the pelvic fins are fused to form a sort of suction cup. This allows them to cling onto surfaces even if the water flow is strong.
Other demersal spawners and mouthbrooders, 2017
Natural habitat
The yellow clown goby was first described in 1972 based on specimens found around the Japanese Yaeyama Islands, part of Okinawa Prefecture. This explains their scientific name, Gobiodon okinawae.
Nowadays, we know that this coral goby is found throughout a large part of the western Pacific. It pops up not just around Japan, but also on the Australian Great Barrier Reef and in The Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the surrounding areas.
In its natural habitat, as its “coral goby” denomination suggests, this is decidedly a reef species. It’s usually found in lagoons no deeper than 50ft in depth, mostly living on corals of the genus Acropora.
Did you know? The IUCN Red List considers Gobiodon okinawae to be a species of Least Concern, meaning it’s not threatened in the wild. It does note that, like all reef fish, it’s vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The Acropora corals it’s naturally associated with are already on the decline, which can lead to serious future problems for the wild population.
Yellow Clown Goby aquarium
The main reasons the yellow clown goby is one of the most popular goby species for the aquarium are its tiny size and sedentary nature. They don’t move around that much and don’t produce a lot of waste, so they work well for nano tanks of 10 gallons and up.
Although these gobies are naturally coral dwellers, they don’t necessarily need corals to thrive in the aquarium (see the section on compatibility below). If you don’t want to deal with the hassle, plenty of (live) rock structures or faux corals also work well.
Always keep a lid on the tank, as these fish jump when spooked.
Compatibility & tankmates
Are yellow clown gobies reef-safe?
Short answer: Not really, but we do recommend trying; it’s the most natural thing for them. It usually works fine, especially in larger tanks with lots of healthy corals.
Long answer: As mentioned, these gobies aren’t burrowers like many of their cousins. They maintain a commensal relationship with corals of the genus Acropora, using them for shelter and picking off small pests.
As such, you’d think that yellow clown gobies are a reef-safe species. Indeed, they’re often marketed as such, but unfortunately aquarists have found they’re really not 100% reef-proof. They can seriously annoy their host corals by perching and laying eggs on them. They’ve also been observed nipping at corals, possibly in an attempt to pick off edible bits.
If your clown gobies are harming your Acropora, which are SPS (small polyp stony) corals, you may have more success with LPS (large polyp stony) corals, as these don’t make attractive perches. But still, don’t assume they won’t ever irritate LPS species—it can still happen.
Tankmates
In the wild, yellow clown gobies are found in groups of up to 15 individuals. This kind of breeding colony is also possible in the aquarium, but only if you offer a lot of space. In nano tanks, you should stick to a single goby or a breeding pair to prevent serious squabbles!
As for other tankmates, interestingly, coral gobies like this one secrete a toxic mucus to protect themselves against predators. In fact, today’s subject is particularly toxic, which it signals with its bright yellow color. Despite this, we’d recommend against keeping your yellow clown goby with larger fish that may want to take a bite out of it.
Instead, choose small and peaceful tankmates. You can try, among many others:
- Tailspot blenny
- Firefish goby
- Blue green chromis
- Clownfish
- Peaceful aquarium shrimp
- Snails
- Hermit crabs
Yellow Clown Goby diet
In the wild, yellow clown gobies are mostly carnivorous. They feed on small invertebrates, crustaceans, worms, the occasional coral bits, and even algae. Instead of actively hunting these small prey items, the gobies mostly sit quietly on their coral perches and wait for them to drift by.
Yellow clown gobies can be a little fussy about feeding in the aquarium, at least in the beginning (which is why we list them as easy to intermediate in difficulty rather than just easy). Try to tempt yours with tasty morsels of mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, and other carnivore foods. They can even get used to pellets and flake foods!
It’s best to feed your yellow clown gobies at least twice a day.
Tip: When buying a yellow clown goby, pay attention to its appearance. They’re mostly wild-caught, but don’t travel well and can be extremely skinny by the time they make it to your local aquarium store. Make sure the fish you buy look healthy and are eating, as the skinny ones sadly usually don’t make it.
Breeding Yellow Clown Goby
As mentioned, most yellow clown gobies are wild-caught. As we’re big fans of captive-bred fish here at FantaSEA, we’d love for more people to try their hand at aquaculturing them!
Breeding coral gobies like these is easy; raising the fry not so much. But it can, and should, be done.
Bidirectional hermaphroditism
One great thing about yellow clown gobies is that you always end up with a pair if you buy two specimens. You see, many marine fish can change from male to female or female to male, but most can only do it one way round.
Not coral gobies: they can change both ways, so male-to-female and female-to-male, and back! These monogamous gobies do so to match their social environment, allowing them to adapt if their mate dies or if the availability of suitable partners changes. Quite handy for us aquarists.
The spawning process
Yellow clown goby pairs will spawn in the aquarium if the conditions are right and the fish are healthy. Acropora or similar SPS corals being present really helps. The female lays hundreds of eggs, usually on the underside of the host coral. If no coral is present, the eggs are sometimes deposited on other surfaces, like the tank wall.
You can set up a special breeding tank for your clown gobies, which reduces the risk of the eggs being eaten by tankmates, or just let them spawn in the main aquarium. In the latter case, the ideal would be to try to get them to lay their eggs on removable objects like faux coral, which means you can transfer them directly to a nursery tank.
Otherwise, you’ll have to move the larvae from the breeding or display tank once they hatch using a larval trap.
Did you know? Happy yellow clown gobies may spawn every 4-5 days!
Raising the fry
Getting the fish to spawn is the easy part; it’s raising the teeny-tiny fry that’s difficult. Here’s how it works:
- The eggs will hatch after 5-10 days, usually closer to the 5-day mark.
- You should catch the larvae immediately and move them to a pre-prepared raising tank. This can be a 5-10 gallon tub with a sponge filter and water from the main tank.
- The larvae are very small, so it’s best to start them off on rotifers.
- Some sources mention they can be switched to newly hatched brine shrimp after 7 days, while others say 25.
- Metamorphosis starts at around 30 days of age. You’ll notice the larvae starting to perch, just like their parents. You can try switching them to commercial microfoods at this point.
Conclusion
A thriving reef tank full of beautiful corals and colorful fish like the yellow clown goby is the ultimate eye-catching home or office decor piece. But not everyone has the expertise or time to set up and maintain a marine aquarium—it’s a lot of work and can be finicky!
That’s where FantaSEA Aquariums comes in. Our specialized team can design, build, and even maintain your fish tank for you. That way, all you have to do is enjoy it! Contact us today with your ideas so we can make them reality.
Sources & further reading
Nakashima, Y., Kuwamura, T., & Yogo, Y. (1996). Both-ways sex change in monogamous coral gobies, Gobiodon spp. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 46, 281-288.
Sawada, Y., Arai, R., & Abe, T. (1972). Gobiodon okinawae, a New Coral-Goby from, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 19(2), 57-62.
Schubert, M., Munday, P. L., Caley, M. J., Jones, G. P., & Llewellyn, L. E. (2003). The toxicity of skin secretions from coral-dwelling gobies and their potential role as a predator deterrent. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 67, 359-367.
Shei, M., Mies, M., & Olivotto, I. (2017). Other demersal spawners and mouthbrooders. Marine ornamental species aquaculture, 223-250.
