Stonogobiops feeding behavior

Last one for tonight...

Both the A. randalli and the yasha 'escaped' from the holding pen (stupid curious cleaner shrimp), but I was able to guide the shrimp to a hole near the rubble-pile at least. The yasha disappeared into the rockwork. He'll find the shrim sometime tonight, I hope...
 
WooHOO!

The Yasha and new shrimp have paired (even after being seperated) and are making a burrow just about the area I prepared for them.

/happy-dance!!!
 
DM, Henry. What do these shrimp eat in their natural environment?

I originally ruled out keeping the shrimp because I am doing a seagrass tank with "enriched sand" and didn't want it disturbed, but I realy like the idea of the pair.

I was thinking that if I put the enriche sand in a plastic pot that is burried just beneath the surface of the sand, the shrimp won't be able to dig in it unless it moves into the seagrass.

On a related note, do these shrimp alway s build their tunnels at the edge of rubble piles? If they do, it will be easy to keep the shrimp from settling in to the seagrass area. Alternately, I could put a tank divider in until the shrimp and goby have settled in to a home..

Fred.
 
DM,

thanks for the pics! they are looking good and it looks like thye have settled in nicely. must be pretty neat to watch the relationship daily like you do.

Fred,

the shrimp are pretty much omnivorous - they eat whatever they can catch. also, the edge of the tunnel will likely be at the edge of rubble or rockwork, but there is no telling where the tunnell itself will end up.

HTH
 
Thanks Henry. If the tunnel starts at the rubble, I can isolate the shrimp from the seagrass area by using a plastic tub or a glass barrier.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the shrimp feed mainly on detritus and stuff in their tunnels and rarely venture out..

Fred.
 
Just because it's the only place I've found with others interested specifically in Stonogobiops sp..

Added a third A. randalli shrimp to the 75g. Placed him on top of / very close proximity to the S. nematodes A. randalli pair because I plan to try to add a second S. yasha to form a pair of yasha with the second A. randalli and the nematodes had already rejected a 'mate.'

I wasn't prepared for the nematodes/randalli pair to reject a third in their pairing when that third was a shrimp. I waited several days then a week, then waited some more. I saw no sign that the smaller A. randalli ad been accepted by the nematode-couple and lost track of the third shrimp entirely; figured him for gramma-food.

This morning during the heavy-feeding Saturdays buffet I can't entice the yasha couple out of their month-old burrow. In fact, I hadn't seen the admittedly reclusive pair for about three days. So I get a little taste of that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and start searching while staying very still. Fed a little more to the tank every few minutes and target-fed a few places/corals. THEN I spot the yasha. Moved to the back of the tank; facing forward at least.

I let out a sigh of relief as I caught sight of the A. randalli paired with it as well, even though he had sprouted a second head. The second head, of course, turned out to be the 'long lost' (two weeks is a long time to lose a creature, even a small one) A. randalli. I wish I had intentionally thought to add the third to the yasha couple as the added shrimp is apparently making the yasha more secure/less skittish.

Figures this happens on a day where the wife has the camera until this evening. ;)

(pictures soon)
 
awesome scott...

i got a quicktime video of a A. randalli last week. perhaps i'll try to make it internet available later tonight as well...
 
Very cool!!

Keep us posted. Are you trying to breed the S. yasha? How do you saturation feed such a reclusive fish?

Fred
 
The yasha is a pain to photograph and feed, but when it is hungry it will dart for food and brave the 'vast' open waters of my little 75g tank. :D

I use a long, thin turkey-baster to target feed corals and get food closer to all my little recluses (which includes the yasha, all three of the A. randalli and one brightly-colored, filter-feeding 'porcelain' crab - though why it is brightly colored I'll never understand since it is always in the shadows hiding). I'm hoping this afternoon wasn't a fluke appearance by the yasha and his randalli pair; they were very cool to watch working out in the 'open.'

By the time I got the camera this evening they had already holed up for the night... it may be next weekend again before I see them (stupid job). ;)

Not really hoping to breed the yasha for the raising of their young, just interested in many fish pairings. I like the idea of happy couples in my little aquatic world and enjoy watching the interaction between the paired mates. It just makes the reef seem more 'real' in my mind.
 
ok, here it is. this is a quicktime file, so obviously you'll need that installed to view this. it was taken at the LFS last week. it was kept in a "critter cage" within a 10g aquarium. it's a little of 6 MB, so this is not dial-up friendly.

movie link
 
O.K.

since this has turned into a Stonogobiops thread...

I'm setting up a 33 long and I intend to do a Stonogobiops xanthorhinica or Yasha species tank. My question is, how many should I get? The footprint is 48" x 12". Can I mix the yellow heads and the Yahsa? Is 6 too many?

thanks
 
For what it's worth, in an interesting turn of events last week (after the dracula mimic ate my largest/oldest A. randalli the Yellow nose (Yellow rose) goby tried to kick the yasha out from his pair-up with the A. randalli couple.

The yasha is more tenatious then his size should allow. The two fish are 'almost' sharing the pair of A. randalli now. The nematodes has primary roosting rights while the yasha is forced into an advance scout role (roughly 4 inches in front of the nematodes and the shrimp tunnels). In an 'emergency' both fish dash for the hole and the yellow nose 'lets' the yasha stay in for as long as the 'danger' is in sight.

On the up-side, I get to see the yasha MUCH more often than before. On the down-side, I'm certain there is a bit of 'stress' in this arrangement and the yasha's dorsal fin is suffering for it (cut down to a third of it's original length).

Not an answer, per sae, but it's all I 've got for ya.
 
Bitingthsun said:
O.K.

since this has turned into a Stonogobiops thread...

I'm setting up a 33 long and I intend to do a Stonogobiops xanthorhinica or Yasha species tank. My question is, how many should I get? The footprint is 48" x 12". Can I mix the yellow heads and the Yahsa? Is 6 too many?

thanks
Click to expand...

are you sure it is 48" long? 48 x 12 is the size of a traditional 55g.

i see no reaon why you can't mix these species, but 6 might be overkill. i'd start with trying to acquire a pair of each species, for a total of 4, and seeing how it goes from there. if the 4 do well, you can bump it up to 6 if you so desire.

may i make a recommendation, though? why not stick with 4 and add a few gobies from a different genus for the sake of diversity?

HTH

henry
 
DensityMan said:
For what it's worth, in an interesting turn of events last week (after the dracula mimic ate my largest/oldest A. randalli the Yellow nose (Yellow rose) goby tried to kick the yasha out from his pair-up with the A. randalli couple.
Click to expand...

ya know, i read that you added the mimic dracula, but never heard what the outcome was. i'm so sorry to hear of this.

the yasha is more tenatious then his size should allow. The two fish are 'almost' sharing the pair of A. randalli now. The nematodes has primary roosting rights while the yasha is forced into an advance scout role (roughly 4 inches in front of the nematodes and the shrimp tunnels). In an 'emergency' both fish dash for the hole and the yellow nose 'lets' the yasha stay in for as long as the 'danger' is in sight.

On the up-side, I get to see the yasha MUCH more often than before. On the down-side, I'm certain there is a bit of 'stress' in this arrangement and the yasha's dorsal fin is suffering for it (cut down to a third of it's original length).

Not an answer, per sae, but it's all I 've got for ya.
Click to expand...

very interesting! thanks for sharing.

henry
 
I continue my search for another A. randalli and a couple more yasha.

The A. crockerii no longer associates with either of the Stonogobiopsis sp.. He is content to stay near the empty A. randalli tunnel in his empty Turbo shell. :D
 
Hi guys,

Thanks to Henry for the excellent article in RK.
It spurred me to set up a 10gl Gobies tank, which has given me lots of joy.

To date, I have A. Hectori, A. Rainfordi, a Yashia - A. Randalli pair, and a couple of spotted & banded gobies.

Just like to share my humble pictures located at Singapore Reef Club and another .

About 2 hours ago, I introduced a male Yashia who had since dashed into the pair's burrow and has yet to emerge.
 
How are you sexing the S. yasha gobies?

I would love to add in another to make a pair, but my experience with the S. nematodes (the newcomer ousted the older goby and harassed it until he assumedly died from it).
 
Just for updating purposes:

The A. randalli pair have made a second entrance to their burrow system. The S. nematodes and S. yasha still share the pair of shrimp, but now do so from two seperate entrances. They also switch occasionally; I think because the nematodes wants the yasha to go away so the yasha 'leaves' to the other burrow entrance. Later they repeat the same dance... it is entertaining to say the least. :D
 
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