Prawn goby (shrimp‑goby symbiosis · overview)

Details

Prawn goby is a vernacular for gobies that live in mutualistic symbiosis with alpheid “pistol” shrimps (Alpheus spp.). Hallmark genera include Amblyeleotris, Cryptocentrus, Stonogobiops. The shrimp excavates and maintains the burrow while the near‑blind shrimp relies on the goby’s vigilance— the goby keeps body/fin contact with the shrimp and signals danger via tail flicks so both can retreat.

Ecology & Biology

• Mutualism: engineering by the shrimp provides a secure burrow/air exchange; the goby provides alarm service.

• Diet: small crustaceans, polychaetes and zooplankton; some detritus.

• Behaviour: typically pairs of gobies with 1–2 shrimps; gobies hover/lie at the entrance by day and retreat at dusk.

• Reproduction: demersal spawners guarding eggs within the burrow; larvae have a pelagic phase.

Identification

• Form: slender with a terminal mouth; pelvic fins fused into a suction disc for station‑holding.

• Patterns: rings/longitudinal bands, ocelli; e.g., Stonogobiops has black‑white bars and a yellow head.

• Contact cueing: constant tactile contact (tail or pectoral filaments) between goby and shrimp at the entrance.

Size & Longevity

• Length: commonly 5–12 cm, large species up to ~18–20 cm.

• Life: generally 2–6 years depending on habitat and predation.

Range & Habitat

Primarily Indo‑Pacific tropical/subtropical reefs on sandy/rubble or shell‑hash bottoms at the edges of coral heads, usually 3–40 m deep.

Conservation & People

• Concerns: sedimentation, coastal works, collection for the aquarium trade.

• Good practice: protect coral‑sand ecotones, reduce anchor damage and diver trampling; responsible collection only.

IUCN: this is a group overview; statuses vary among species (LC–DD). Marked here as Not Evaluated (NE) for the overview entry.