Yellow Clown Goby , eating SPS poylps

[Funkyskunk]

Hi there guys, after doing a fair amount of research I decided that this little guy would be a nice addition, I have always found them to have great personalities, and enjoy there behavior, most of the documentation that I have read said that they are completely reef safe, BUT : this little bugger seems to have a taste for my sps polyps, I have to go overseas tomorrow and will only be able to try catch him on my return in a week.

Is this normal for him to be eating the polyps?
Do you think my coral will be ok for a week?
And does anyone have any experience with these yellow clown gobies, citron goby or I believe they call him Okinawa gobies?

Any info would be great


Thanks

[Old Yeller Tang]

Yep, I bought 4 of them at one time and they are really keen but they do nip on sps polyps. Even worse when they pair up and the mating begins! I rid 3 of them and just kept one and it never could put a dent into anything but I had tons of corals back then. Sure seems like a long time ago when I had tons of corals.

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !


Yellow Clown Goby
Gobiodon citrinus
Ruppell, 1838

Fishbase.org Reference:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...sname=citrinus

Perhaps of particular interest ...

Biology: Associated with colonies of broadly branched corals (Acropora spp.). Produces toxic mucus (Ref. 9360). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35408).

Extracted From:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...sname=citrinus

Oh yes ... they can demonstrate a taste for corals, although their favorite foods are benthoplanktonic. See ...

Diet Composition Summary for Gobiodon citrinus
http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/D...sName=citrinus

Even worse when they pair up and the mating begins!

Indeed ... they'll actually strip sections of SPS corals, typically Acropora species, to create a spawning site.

HTH ...

[frink]

clown gobies

I have 3 different morphs of clown gobies to keep them from pairing up.My acros are so used to their presense they do not even retract polyps when the gobies wiggle around in them. When ever I read an anecdotal account of these guys eating polyps I go over and look at my reef and everything is ok again. Nothing more beautiful than seeing my yellow clown in my purple mille. And yes he has been in the reef for over 2 years,maybe tommorow he will become evil but I`ll take the risk.

[wasp]

Good research Mesocosm, I didn't know they were toxic! Is that to coral, or to predators?
As far as damage to corals goes, I have three, two pure yellow, and one kind of stripey. They do appear to nip at coral but I've never seen any actual harm done, I think they are more eating food particles or little organisms that may be on the coral (although I might be wrong). No pairing or egg laying yet, that would be a problem.
They are very pretty and have a personality, I'm keeping them. My striped one arrived TINY, probably 1/4 inch or so long, I never thought he would survive, but he is so quick darting out to take food and back in again so quick that the eye can hardly follow. There is no way any fish could catch him. He is now maybe 1/2 inch, if he gets bigger he will be very pretty.

[Funkyskunk]

Thanks for all the help and info guys, i only have one and i must say i do like him, but he does appear to nip and bother some of the corals. Hopefully everything will be ok, apon my return in a week, if not i guess i am going to have to fishing....... Thx angain for the info!!!!