Description
Dragon Goby (Amblygobius phalaena)
Amblygobius phalaena – We are excited to introduce a new aquacultured species – a working sand-sifter type goby called the Sleeper Banded Goby. It is also sometimes called the “dragon,” “sphynx,” or “bullet” goby. This is a pretty fish with a white body and dark vertical bands and iridescent eyes. This fish specie’s claim to fame is that many hobbyists over decades have reported this fish helps to keep Cyanobacteria off the sand bed in the reef aquarium.
The Sleeper Banded Goby is peaceful, reef safe, and gets along great with other peaceful reef fish. Avoid keeping it with aggressive species or animals that are large enough to eat small fish. Like other gobies, these can easily jump out of an aquarium when chased or frightened, so a tight fitting lid is required.
This type of goby doesn’t always do well in captivity when wild caught, but our captive bred gobies feed on just about any fish foods offered that will fit in their mouths. At sale size, they are eating TDO B2 size pellets. As adults, we recommend a varied diet including pellets and frozen foods.
As adults, these gobies do well singly in a smaller tank of 30+ gallons. Pairs may do well in large aquariums when added at the same time but note that this species can be aggressive toward conspecifics and is not sexually dimorphic. At sale size the small gobies are currently about 2.5 cm. In larger aquariums, you may want to introduce them to your tank using a temporary acclimation box.
See below for more information.
Size and Care Requirements
- Purchase Size: ~1″ (length)
- Max Size:
- Water Parameters:~72°-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, s.g. 1.020-1.025
- Color: White body and dark vertical bands and iridescent eyes.
- Reef-Safe: Yes
- Feeding: Omnivorous
Benefits of Aquacultured Marine Livestock
Aquacultured fishes offer a huge advantage over wild-caught specimens. For example, when bred and raised under captive conditions, they adjust more easily to aquarium life. They are also much less likely to carry disease. Even more, aquacultured specimens can better tolerate shipping stress. Most notably, by purchasing aquacultured watchman gobies you support the aquaculture of marine organisms and help to make our hobby more sustainable!
100% Alive on Arrival (AoA) Guarantee
We guarantee that every dragon goby we sell will be Alive On Arrival and in good health. Should it arrive in any other state, we will either replace it free of charge (including shipping) or issue store credit if the total livestock loss is less than $40. For more information, please also visit our 100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee page.
