Green clown goby

The green clown goby (Gobiodon histrio) is a tiny olive-green reef fish with faint orange striping on the face, built to sit in the branches of stony corals rather than to swim. In the wild it lives among Acropora, wedged between branches; in the aquarium it picks a coral or a piece of rock and treats it as home. It is one of the few marine fish genuinely suited to a small tank.

Aquarium care

• Very small — under 4 cm as an adult.
• Suitable for nano and small reef aquariums provided they are mature and stable.
• Perches rather than swims; it needs branching coral, rubble or rockwork to sit in.
• Takes small frozen foods and finely sized prepared foods; feed small amounts often.
• Peaceful toward other species, though several clown gobies in one small tank will squabble.
• Known to perch on and sometimes nip at small-polyp stony corals, particularly Acropora.

A good choice for a small established reef alongside other calm, small fish. Do not house it with anything large enough to eat it, including hawkfish, larger wrasses and predatory gobies. If your reef is built around prize Acropora colonies, weigh the perching habit first.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the saltwater fish collection.