Yellowstripe Neon Goby (Elacatinus figaro)

The Yellowstripe Neon Goby (Elacatinus figaro) is the Brazilian answer to the classic Neon Goby: same two inch frame, same cleaning station behavior, same easygoing temperament, but the racing stripe runs molten gold instead of blue. Set against a dark body with a pale belly, the yellow line reads across a tank from the other side of the room. Like its Caribbean cousin it is a true cleaner, perching on a favorite rock and picking parasites and dead skin off any fish willing to hold still. Captive bred, completely reef safe, and one of the best nano tank fish in the hobby. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to build the tank around it.

Yellow or blue

We carry both. This one and the Bluestripe Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops) do the same job, cost the same, and need the same care. The only real difference is the color of the stripe and where they come from, so pick whichever suits your aquascape. If you want cleaning behavior without the risk, either one beats the Cleaner Wrasse, which is an obligate cleaner that frequently refuses prepared food and starves in home tanks. A Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is the invert version and pairs happily with either goby.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 10 gallons and up. At 2 to 3 inches with almost no bioload, it is one of the few marine fish genuinely suited to a nano while still being useful in a big reef.
• Rockwork: give it an exposed perch. Cleaner gobies choose a high visibility spot for their station and sit on it advertising for customers, so open rock beats a cave.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.025. Hardy and forgiving, and captive bred stock is tougher still.
• Feeding: carnivore, and do not count on cleaning duty to feed it. Offer small meaty foods two or three times a day: PE Mysis, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and a fine pellet like Hikari Marine-S.
• How many: one is the safe answer. A group works in a larger tank with plenty of separate perches, but only if every fish goes in at the same time. Adding a second one later to an established goby is where trouble starts.
• Lifespan: short, one to two years. That is a full life for a fish this small, not a sign that something went wrong.
• Lid: recommended. Small gobies find small gaps.

Specifications

Compatibility

One of the easiest fish in the hobby to place. Larger fish that would normally eat something this small usually recognize the stripe as a cleaner and leave it alone, which is exactly what the coloration is for. It sits well with the Premium Picasso Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Banggai Cardinal, Firefish Goby, Citron Clown Goby, Bicolor Blenny, and Yellowhead Jawfish. Corals and inverts are completely safe.

Its best customers. Big grazers with a lot of surface area get the most from a cleaning station. A Purple Tang or a Starry Rabbitfish will hang motionless in front of the goby waiting its turn, which is one of the better things you will watch in a reef tank.

What to avoid. Genuinely predatory fish that hunt by size rather than reading the cleaner signal are the exception: large groupers, lionfish, and hawkfish. Other cleaner gobies like our Green Banded Goby are fine company in a tank with room for two stations.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis, the staple
• Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp
• SFBB Mysis Shrimp Cube
• Hikari Marine-S small pellet
• Xtreme Marine PeeWee Slow-Sinking Pellets

FAQ

How is it different from the blue Neon Goby?
Mostly the stripe. E. figaro is a Brazilian species with a gold stripe, E. oceanops is Caribbean with an electric blue one. Size, diet, temperament, tank requirements, and cleaning behavior are effectively identical, so it comes down to which color you want on your rockwork.

Does it really clean other fish?
Yes. Cleaner gobies set up stations and other fish visit deliberately to be serviced. It is genuine behavior and useful for keeping an eye on parasite pressure, but it is not a treatment for an ich outbreak, so do not buy one as medicine.

Why does captive bred matter here?
E. figaro is endemic to Brazil with a limited natural range, and the aquarium trade has historically leaned on wild collection. Tank raised fish take that pressure off entirely, and they arrive already eating prepared food and adapted to aquarium life.

Can I keep two?
In a larger tank with separate perches, yes, provided they go in together. In a nano, keep one. Adding a second goby to an established one is the usual way people end up with a fight.