Diamond Watchman Goby

The Diamond Watchman Goby (Valenciennea puellaris), also known as the Diamond Goby or Maiden Goby, is a popular choice among marine aquarists for its striking appearance and beneficial sand-sifting behavior.

Quick Stats:

• Care Level: Easy
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Color Form: White body with orange diamond-shaped spots
• Diet: Carnivore
• Reef Compatible: Yes
• Water Conditions:
  • Specific Gravity: 1.020–1.025
  • Temperature: 72–78°F
  • dKH: 8–12
  • pH: 8.1–8.4
• Maximum Size: 6 inches
• Family: Gobiidae
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Overview: The Diamond Watchman Goby features a slender, elongated body adorned with distinctive orange diamond-shaped spots along its sides. Its peaceful nature and constant sand-sifting activity make it an excellent addition to reef aquariums, as it helps maintain a clean substrate by consuming detritus and uneaten food. In the wild, this species inhabits sandy bottoms of lagoons and coastal reefs, where it constructs burrows for shelter.

Care Tips:

• Tank Setup: Provide a well-established aquarium with a deep sand bed and ample live rock to support its natural burrowing and foraging behavior. A tight-fitting lid is recommended, as this species is known to jump.
• Feeding: Offer a varied diet that includes live and frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and prepared foods. Its sand-sifting activity allows it to consume small invertebrates and organic matter found within the substrate.
• Compatibility: Generally peaceful, the Diamond Watchman Goby coexists well with other non-aggressive fish. However, it may become territorial with its own kind unless kept as a mated pair.

Fun Fact: The Diamond Watchman Goby often forms a symbiotic relationship with pistol shrimp, sharing burrows and providing mutual protection against predators.

By providing appropriate tank conditions and a suitable diet, the Diamond Watchman Goby can be a beneficial and engaging addition to your marine aquarium.