Yasha Goby (Stonogobiops yasha)

The Yasha Goby (Stonogobiops yasha), also sold as the Yasha Haze Goby or White Ray Shrimp Goby, is a 2-inch showpiece for the sand bed: a clean white body crossed by diagonal orange-red stripes, capped with a tall, pennant-like first dorsal fin it raises like a flag. In the wild it shares a burrow with a pistol shrimp, standing guard at the entrance while the shrimp does the digging, and that partnership is one of the best behaviors you can watch in a home reef. This fish is aquacultured in the USA, bred and raised in captivity, so it arrives already used to aquarium life and eating prepared foods, and no fish was taken off a reef to get it here. Peaceful, reef safe, and hardy. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies and our invertebrates to find its shrimp partner.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 20 gallons or larger. It stays close to its burrow, so floor space and a stable sand bed matter more than total volume.
• Substrate: 2 inches or more of fine sand mixed with some rubble and small shell pieces, so it and its shrimp can build a burrow that holds its shape.
• Lid required: shrimp gobies are jumpers, especially when startled or when the lights snap on. A fitted screen lid is cheap insurance.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026.
• Feeding: carnivore. Offer small meaty foods like PE Mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, and small sinking pellets two or three times a day. As an aquacultured fish it usually takes pellets without any coaxing.
• Pistol shrimp partner: optional, but it is the whole show. Add the shrimp first or at the same time, and the pair will usually move in together within days.
• One per tank: keep a single Yasha Goby or a known mated pair. Two unpaired fish of the same genus will fight over the burrow.

Specifications

Compatibility

The ideal roommate is a pistol shrimp. The Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus randalli, also called Randall's Pistol Shrimp) is its natural partner in the wild and matches its small size perfectly. The Tiger Pistol Shrimp is a larger alternative that also pairs with shrimp gobies.

With fish it is shy and easily pushed around, so choose calm neighbors: Ocellaris Clownfish, Firefish Goby, Royal Gramma, and Banggai Cardinalfish are all good choices. Avoid hawkfish, dottybacks, and larger wrasses, which will bully or eat it. Keep it apart from other Stonogobiops like our HiFin Banded Goby unless the tank is large enough for two separate burrows, and be careful mixing it with bigger watchman gobies that may take over the burrow.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp, its natural burrow partner
• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis frozen food
• Xtreme Marine PeeWee Pellets, a small slow-sinking staple
• Nutramar Tigrio Live Copepods for enrichment feeding
• SFBB Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp as a backup food
• Innovative Marine AccuDrip Acclimator for a gentle introduction

FAQ

Does it need a pistol shrimp?
No, it will live happily on its own under a rock ledge. But a shrimp partner brings out its natural behavior, gives it a secure burrow, and makes it far bolder and more visible.

Which pistol shrimp should I get?
The Candy Cane (Randall's) Pistol Shrimp is the classic match. It is small, reef safe, and the species Yasha Gobies pair with in the wild.

What does aquacultured mean for me?
It was bred and raised in captivity rather than collected from a reef. Aquacultured fish tend to be hardier, already eat frozen and pelleted foods, and settle into home aquariums faster.

Can I keep two?
Only as a known mated pair. Two random Yasha Gobies will usually fight over the burrow.

It is hiding all the time. Is that normal?
For the first week or so, yes. Once it has a burrow and learns feeding time, it spends most of the day hovering at the entrance.