Yellow Citron Clown Goby (Gobiodon citrinus)

The Yellow Citron Clown Goby (Gobiodon citrinus) is a thumb-sized ball of lemon-yellow personality that spends its day perched in coral branches, watching the room. Peaceful, hardy, and happy in tanks as small as 10 gallons, it is one of the best little characters you can add to a nano reef. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock while you are here.

Care Guide

Clown gobies are low-demand fish. Give this one a perch, gentle tankmates, and small meaty meals, and it will claim a favorite branch within a day of going in.

• Tank size: 10 gallons or larger. It barely swims in open water, so even a well-stocked nano has room for one.
• Aquascape: In the wild it lives inside Acropora colonies. Branching corals (or branching rock and plastic coral in a fish-only tank) give it the perches it wants.
• Water: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.025. Standard stable reef parameters are all it asks for.
• Temperament: Peaceful with everything except other clown gobies. Keep one per tank, or a mated pair in larger setups.
• Diet: A carnivore that likes small bites. Offer frozen or liquid mysis, brine shrimp, and copepods a couple of times a day at first; most learn to take small pellets quickly.

Specifications

Tank Mates & Compatibility

The Citron Clown Goby gets along with virtually every peaceful reef fish: clownfish, firefish, cardinals, blennies, small wrasses, and all reef-safe invertebrates. Its skin carries a bitter mucus (the reason for the nickname Poison Goby) that makes most predators spit it out, but do not test that with lionfish, groupers, or anything with a mouth big enough to try. Skip other clown gobies unless you are pairing, and give it at least one branching perch it can call home.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Aquaforest AF Liquid Mysis, an easy first food for small-mouthed reef fish
• Nutramar Tigrio Live Copepods to kick-start a picky eater
• Dinkins Copepods Reef Snacklebox to seed the tank with live food
• A branching frag from our coral collection to give it a perch
• Browse all saltwater livestock and supplies

FAQ

Is it reef safe?
Mostly yes. It will perch in corals without harming them day to day. A settled pair may nip a small patch of Acropora tissue to lay eggs, so keep an eye on SPS colonies. Soft corals and LPS are not bothered.

Will it get along with my other fish?
Yes, it ignores everything that is not another clown goby. One per tank is the rule unless you have a bonded pair.

What should I feed it first?
Small meaty foods: liquid or frozen mysis, brine shrimp, and copepods. Feed small amounts a couple of times a day for the first week or two; most switch to small pellets once settled.

Does it really need coral to live in?
No. It prefers branching corals but is just as happy perched on branching rock, a plastic coral, or even the heater in a fish-only setup.