The Black Clown Goby is common within the reefs of the Indo Pacific, found usually among soft and hard coral colonies. They are a small stocky shaped fish with a very large head for their size. There are many different color variations, and this species is black in color. They are a peaceful fish that makes a wonderful addition to a reef aquarium containing colonies of polyp corals, as they enjoy swimming and hiding amongst the polyps. However, they may nip at the polyps of SPS corals.
The Black Clown Goby requires a 10-gallon or larger aquarium. They will rarely become aggressive towards other fish, but will fight among their own kind in smaller aquariums. If the aquarium is large enough, a group may be simultaneously introduced. If branching coral is present, the group will form mated pairs. It is best if Clown Gobies are kept with other docile species.
It is common for clown gobies to spawn in an aquarium. Caution should be exercised if the aquarium contains Acropora sp. or similar SPS corals. They will lay their eggs on the underside of the coral’s branch, which will cause tissue recession in that area of the coral. However, under good conditions, the coral will regenerate the lost tissue.
The Black Clown Goby’s diet should consist of a variety of brine shrimp, frozen mysis shrimp, table shrimp, and frozen food preparations for carnivores.