Sharknose Goby (Elacatinus evelynae)

Description:
Sharknose gobies get their name from having a pointed head, much like the way a shark’s head is shaped. They, like other neon gobies, have a bright line of color running horizontally down the sides of their dorsal black body. For a sharknose goby, their colored lines start as a brilliant bright yellow that works down the horizontal line changing to a bright blue. They are white in color on the ventral (bottom or belly side) of their body.

Natural Ecology:
This species lives in groups and forms cleaning stations. Larger fishes come to these stations to allow cleaner gobies to remove dead skin, parasites, and other edible debris as food. Unlike many cleaner animals, cleaner gobies will also eat regular fish food and can therefore live a long time in a captive environment.

Also called:

The Caribbean cleaning goby

Indigenous To:
Sharknose gobies are native to the Western Atlantic Ocean from the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles to the northern coast of South America, as well as the Antilles and western Caribbean.

Behavior:
As a cleaner species, this fish will pick parasites and dead skin from the gills, mouth and skin of larger fish.

Compatibility:
These gobies are compatible with most other species but can become prey to animals that are ambush feeders like mantis shrimp.

Food:
Proaquatix specimens have been weaned to take aquarium pellets and flakes. Freshly frozen invertebrates such as ocean plankton, Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and chopped squid.