Gold-marked shrimpgoby

Where they come from

Gold-marked shrimpgobies (Vanderhorstia auronotata) are little sand-dwelling gobies from Indo-Pacific reefs. Think shallow lagoon areas and sandy patches near rubble. In the wild they hang around burrows and spend most of the day hovering just above the sand, grabbing tiny food bits as they drift by.

They are one of those fish that look calm and simple, but they are picky about the basics. If you like watching natural behavior up close, they are super rewarding.

Setting up their tank

This fish is all about the bottom. Give it a real sandbed, some rubble, and a place to claim. If you drop one into a bare-bottom tank or coarse crushed coral, you are basically taking away its whole comfort zone.

• Tank size: 20 gallons minimum for one, but 30+ feels way more stable (and you will appreciate the extra sand area)
• Sand: fine to medium (sugar-sized is great). Aim for 2-3 inches so they can dig and rearrange
• Rubble: small pieces of rock or coral rubble on the sand so burrows hold shape
• Flow: moderate. You want food to move around, but not a sandstorm
• Rockwork: stable and set on the bottom glass, not on top of shifting sand (they dig)
• Lid: tight. Gobies jump, especially right after adding them or if spooked at night

They can live with a pistol shrimp partner, but not every individual pairs up in a home tank. Sometimes you get instant teamwork, sometimes they ignore each other. If you want the best odds, add the shrimp first (or at the same time) and provide lots of little rubble pieces for construction.

What to feed them

They are small-mouthed, micro-predator types. In my tanks they did best when I treated them like constant snackers rather than "one big meal" fish. If they are new and shy, they will not compete well at the surface.

• Frozen: mysis (small), enriched brine, calanus, finely chopped krill, roe/eggs
• Live (great for new arrivals): live brine, copepods, blackworms (if you can do them safely for marine)
• Prepared: small sinking pellets (0.5-1 mm) once they are settled, and soft micro foods

Target feeding helps a lot. I like using a turkey baster or pipette and gently puffing food toward the burrow entrance. If the food hits the sand and gets blown away instantly, dial back the flow a little during feeding.

How they behave and who they get along with

Most of the time they are polite, low-drama fish. They hover, they dart, they watch you, and they retreat fast when startled. The main "attitude" you will see is territory right around the burrow, especially if another sand goby parks too close.

• Good tankmates: peaceful reef fish, small wrasses that are not bullies, clownfish that stay in their lane, firefish (with a lid), cardinalfish
• Use caution: other sand-sitting gobies, watchman gobies, aggressive damsels, dottybacks that harass the bottom
• Avoid: sand-sifting stars that strip the sandbed, big sand-sifting gobies that outcompete them, triggerfish, hawkfish that hunt small bottom fish

If you are trying to keep a pair, introduce them carefully and have extra burrow options. Sometimes you get a peaceful duo. Other times one decides the entire front half of the tank is theirs.

Breeding tips

They can spawn in captivity, usually in a burrow. You might see the pair spend more time together, the entrance gets "remodeled," and the fish guards the area more tightly. The eggs are typically laid in the burrow where you will not see them.

Raising the larvae is the hard part. Like a lot of marine gobies, the babies are tiny and planktonic. That means you are looking at a dedicated larval setup and live foods (rotifers, then copepods) on a schedule. If you are not already doing clownfish-style larval rearing, think of spawning as a fun bonus, not a plan.

Common problems to watch for

Most losses with this species come down to three things: shipping stress, not eating enough in a busy tank, or jumping. They are not forgiving like some hardier gobies.

• Refusing food after arrival: try live foods and target feed near the burrow, keep lights low for a couple days
• Getting outcompeted: feed smaller portions more often, and deliver food to the bottom
• Jumping: cover every gap (overflow teeth, corner cutouts, cable notches)
• Sand issues: too coarse, too shallow, or constantly blasted by flow so they cannot build a stable home
• Disease: marine ich/velvet can hit them hard, especially if they arrive stressed. Quarantine is worth the effort with this fish

One more small thing: keep an eye on the burrow entrance after maintenance. I have accidentally buried entrances during sand cleaning or rock nudges, and the fish took hours to sort it out. I do light sand vacuuming only in open areas and leave their "front porch" alone.