• HOME
• COURSES
• DIVING
• DIVE SITES
• EQUIPMENT
• INJURIES
• LESSONS
• SEA LIFE

Home › Sea Life › Marine › Vertebrates › Gobies › Orange Stripe Prawn Goby

Information about Randall's Shrimp Goby

[Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Actinopterygii] [Order: Gobiiformes] [Genus: Amblyeleotris]

The distinct body colouration, and a general non aggressive nature, are the main reasons why some aquarists keep Randall's prawn goby fish as pets.

This guide contains information and interesting facts about Amblyeleotris randalli, including where they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.

Orange-Striped Gobies Habitats and Range

Amblyeleotris randalli is the scientific name for one of the most easily recognised out of all goby fish species.

They are native in many parts of the Indo-Pacific region, especially:

• Indian Ocean (e.g. the Maldives, the Seychelles)
• Japan (southern islands)
• Northern Australia
• The Red Sea
• Western Pacific Ocean (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines)

These shrimp gobies are also known for their symbiotic relationship with alpheid (pistol) shrimps, such as Alpheus ochrostriatus.

Randall's prawn gobies thrive better in shallow water environments - at depths ranging between five (5) and forty (40) metres (around 131 feet).

They are a bottom-dwelling species that develop burrows in soft sand or silty substrates. Thus, they inhabit outer reef slopes and rubble cave zones near healthy coral reef formations.

Behaviour and Characteristics

Compared with the giant goby (Gobius cobitis), which can measure up to 27 centimetres in length, Amblyeleotris randalli is one of the smallest, measuring around nine (9) centimetres long (4 inches).

The body of the Randall's prawn goby is somewhat lengthened and almost cylindrical in shape. Even though the general background coloration is pale white, they have multiple bold yellow or orange stripes.

Furthermore, the first orange band passes through the eye as it moves around the head. Other distinctive features include the round, prominent eyes and a large upturned mouth.

Pro Tip: The intriguing symbiotic relationship between the prawn-goby and the alpheid shrimp is one reason why aquarists introduce them as part of their fish keeping hobby (e.g. in saltwater aquariums).

What Do Randall's Prawn Goby Fish Eat?

Being a typical carnivorous micro-predator, Randall's shrimp goby (Amblyeleotris randalli) feeds on a combination of small benthic crustaceans and planktonic organisms.

Even so, in the wild their daily diet may also include:

• Amphipods
• Brine shrimp
• Copepods
• Detritus
• Isopods
• Segmented worms (Polychaetes)
• Shrimp larvae
• Zooplankton

The 'pick-and-snap' feeding behaviour of the Randall's prawn goby is one that resembles an ambush predator. The fish perches itself near the entrance of its burrow and shoots forward to snare its prey.

Goby Fish Reproduction

Male and females typically share the burrow which provides them with a sheltered place to spawn. The genders dig with their mouths and keep the burrow clear of debris by fanning away sedimentary sand.

Gobies will place small fragments of shells, rubble, and corals to block the entrance of their hole, especially during spawning season.

Here's the thing:

The eggs stick to vegetation such as coral and substrate. The male supervises the eggs for a few days until they hatch.

Most of the young will only take a few months to reach adult maturity. In general, warm water dwellers can live for a period of up to ten (10) years.

Threats and Predators

A recent assessment carried out by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020 spotlights the Gold-barred Shrimp-goby Amblyeleotris randalli as being of Least Concern (LC).

For the most part, there are no major threats to the species and they will also breed when kept in captivity. Thus, they are collected and used commercially in the aquarium trade.

Divers also enjoyed reading about...