Black Clown Goby (Gobiodon ceramensis)

The Black Clown Goby (Gobiodon ceramensis) is the sleek, understated member of the clown goby family: a thumbnail-sized, round-headed fish in solid charcoal to jet black that spends its life perched in coral branches, watching the tank with big curious eyes. Where its yellow and citron cousins pop, this one reads as a crisp silhouette against green and blue corals, with the same oversized personality packed into a body that stays under 2 inches. Peaceful, hardy, and happy in a nano reef. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies and our coral collection to give it a branching coral to call home.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 10 gallons or larger. It barely swims, it hops from perch to perch, so it is a natural fit for nano and pico reefs.
• Give it a perch: in the wild clown gobies live their whole lives among the branches of stony corals like Acropora. At home a branching coral, a frag rack edge, or a rock ledge near the front works. Without a favorite perch it tends to hide.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026. Stable reef conditions matter more than exact numbers.
• Feeding: micro-carnivore. Offer small meaty foods like baby brine shrimp, finely chopped mysis, and copepods once or twice a day. If it shares the tank with fast eaters, target feed near its perch so food reaches it.
• Coral caution: clown gobies perch on SPS, and they can nip Acropora polyps. A spawning pair will also clear a small patch of coral tissue to lay eggs, which leaves a spot of recession. Harmless in a soft coral or LPS tank, worth knowing in an SPS-heavy one.
• Toxic mucus: clown gobies coat themselves in a bitter skin toxin that makes predators spit them out. It is a defense, not a hazard to you or your tank.

Specifications

Compatibility

Peaceful toward everything and small enough that it only wants a quiet corner of the reef. Good tank mates include the Ocellaris Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Firefish Goby, Tailspot Blenny, and Banggai Cardinalfish. If you want a splash of color alongside it, our Yellow Clown Goby and Citron Clown Goby make a great contrast, but give each its own perch, since clown gobies squabble over territory in tight quarters.

Avoid anything with a mouth big enough to try: hawkfish, dottybacks, larger wrasses, lionfish, groupers, and triggers. The skin toxin discourages most predators, but a fish this small is not worth the gamble.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, sized right for a tiny mouth
• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Mysis Shrimp for the main meaty meal
• Reef Nutrition Arcti-Pods, a fine copepod food it will snap up
• Selcon Vitamin Booster to soak frozen foods
• Innovative Marine AccuDrip Acclimator for a slow, low-stress introduction

FAQ

Which species is it exactly?
All-black clown gobies are notoriously hard to tell apart, and several near-identical Gobiodon species are sold under this one name. The most common ID for fish from Southeast Asia is Gobiodon ceramensis. Care, size, and behavior are the same across the group.

Will it damage my SPS corals?
Sometimes. It can nip Acropora polyps, and a spawning pair will clear a small patch of tissue to lay eggs. The damage is usually small and localized, but in a high-end SPS tank it is a real consideration. In soft coral and LPS tanks there is no issue.

Can I keep a pair?
Yes. Clown gobies pair readily, and two young fish of the same species will usually sort themselves into a male and female. A bonded pair shares a perch and may spawn on a coral branch.

Will it eat frozen food?
Most take small frozen foods within a few days. Offer tiny portions near its perch and it quickly learns where dinner comes from.