YWG Sexing

[bededog]

Could someone enlighten me about sexing yellow watchman gobies. Are they the same as clowns? I have had one for quite some time and it is pretty big. I added a small one about a month ago and I saw it in my reef tank for the first time this evening. I am wondering if the two are paired and possible "going at it" because I have only seen the big one once in the last four or five days. The big one had been in the habit of sitting in one of two places and I could see him just about any time I looked in the tank.

Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[NicoleC]

We can't sex them. There is some evidence that they may be born sexed.

Eventually, the female will become larger. They spawn about every 30 days, and the male tends the eggs in their den. If there are eggs, you will probably never see them.

Every successful pairing I have heard of was "love at first sight." For mine, they immediately did a short courtship dance, then the female took possession of his den... graciously allowing him to continue to use it.

Mated pairs are near inseparable. You may want to look for the other goby at the back door to the den. Mine used to perch one in front and one in back. If the gobies are not living in the same den and staying together, they are not a pair.

 

[bededog]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks Nicole. I have no idea if there are two dens or one. I just got a glimpse of the newest/smallest gobie this evening for the first time in a month. If they are sharing a den it is either in the middle of my rockwork or facing the back of the tank.

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

Nicole

as you are the expert for YWG I always wondered what is the thing with the coloration. Do you of one color breeding couples? Or does alwasy one chnage to the greyish version?

I had a free pair of Alpheus bellulus and spotted two 2-3 cm small YWG and of course could not resist . Within minutes fish and shrimps found each other and the digging party did start

 

[NicoleC]

No one knows the coloration for sure. One yellow male and one yellow female seems tp be the norm, but there are spawning pairs of both yellow and both grey (like mine are now).

Most for sale are yellow, but some folks who PM me that question (about one a week!) have grey ones. Also, Amy & Alan (oceanarus on RC) have a mix of grey and yellow babies from the start.

I suspect there is some hormonal trigger that gets mixed in with their camoflauging talents.

Having a foursome is great! I want to try raising the shrimp babies someday.