Related FAQs: Part 1: Amblyeleotris, Part 2: Asterropteryx, Cryptocentrus & Ctenogobiops, Shrimp Gobies, Shrimp Gobies 2, Pistol Shrimp and Goby Biotopes, & Shrimp Goby Identification, Shrimp Goby Behavior, Shrimp Goby Compatibility, Shrimp Goby Selection, Shrimp Goby Systems, Shrimp Goby Feeding,  Shrimp Goby Disease, Shrimp Goby Reproduction, & Shrimp they associate with, Shrimp Identification, Shrimp Behavior, Alpheid (including Shrimp) Gobies, True Gobies, Gobies 2, Goby Identification, Goby Behavior, Goby Selection, Goby Compatibility, Goby Feeding, Goby Systems, Goby Disease, Goby Reproduction, Amblygobius Gobies, Clown Gobies, Neon Gobies, Genus Coryphopterus Gobies, Mudskippers, Sifter Gobies,  Related Articles: Gobioids, Marine Shrimp, Marine Scavengers, Alpheid (including Shrimp) Gobies,  /The Conscientious Reef Aquarist Shrimp or Watchman Gobies of the Genera Mahidolia, Stonogobiops, Tomiyamichthys & Vanderhorstia

By Bob Fenner

Stonogobiops dracula

Genus Mahidolia:

Mahidolia mystacina (Valenciennes 1837), the Smiling Shrimp Goby. Indo-Pacific; To a mere 8 cm. in length. May be brown, tan or overall yellow in color, males with taller first dorsals. Found in muddy settings singly or in pairs in association with a grayish brown alpheid shrimp. N. Sulawesi image.

Genus Stonogobiops: Five species; one common in the pet-fish trade

Stonogobiops dracula Pollunin & Lubbock 1977, the Dracula Prawn Goby. Western Indian Ocean: Seychelles, Maldives where it lives in pairs symbiotically with Alpheus randalli. To 7 cm. in length. Aquarium images by Hiroyuki Tanaka & RMF.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.

Stonogobiops nematodes Hoese & Randall 1982, the Filament-Finned Prawn Goby. Lives symbiotically with Alpheus randalli in the Indo-West Pacific; Seychelles to the Philippines. To two inches in length. Aquarium image.

Stonogobiops xanthorhinica Hoese & Randall 1982,  Yellow-nose Prawn Goby. To 5.5 cm. in length. Western Pacific; Indonesia to Southern Japan to Micronesia. Fiji image.

Stonogobiops yasha Yoshina & Shimada 2001. Western Pacific. To 4.7 cm. Aquarium photo. Best kept one to a tank, unless known to be a pair. Members of the same sex are territorial. http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=58585&genusname=Stonogobiops&speciesname=yasha

Genus Tomiyamichthys: Three described species

Tomiyamichthys oni (Tomiyama 1936), the Monster or Fan Shrimp Goby. West Pacific; Malaysia, Philippines, Southern Japan. To 10 cm. in length. Found in burrows with Alpheus bellulus. N. Sulawesi pic.

Genus Vanderhorstia: Nine described species

Vanderhorstia ambanoro (Fourmanoir 1957), the Twin-Spotted Shrimp Goby. Indo-West Pacific; eastern Africa to Samoa out to the Micronesians. To a bit over five inches in length. This image shot in Pulau Redang, Malaysia.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size)copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Shrimp-Gobies, Symbionts with Alpheid Shrimps

Debelius, Helmut. 1986. Gobies in the marine aquarium, pt. 4: Partnerships. Today's Aquarium 4/86.

Michael, Scott W. An aquarist's guide to Shrimp Gobies. AFM 5/95.

Stratton, Richard F. 1998. Watch out for Watchman Gobies. TFH 6/98.

Zoffer, David J. 1994. The Shrimp Gobies. TFH 10/94.