Pinkbar Goby (Africa) (Amblyeleotris Aurora)

Also Known As: Aurora Goby, Aurora Prawn Goby

Compatibility and Behavior
Hailing directly from Africa, the Pinkbar Aurora Goby (Amblyeleotris aurora) is one of the more colorful shrimp gobies you'll come across. Vibrant pink to reddish-orange vertical bars stand out against a creamy white body, with small red and golden speckling scattered across the head and a striking orange and yellow pattern on the tail. Underneath the color it has the classic shrimp goby build: an elongated, cylindrical body, expressive upward-facing eyes, and a broad, sand-sifting mouth. The real draw, as with the rest of this group, is the partnership. It forms one of the hobby's most captivating symbioses with a pistol shrimp (such as the Tiger Pistol Shrimp), where the nearly blind shrimp digs and maintains a shared burrow while the goby stands lookout, warning its partner of danger with rapid flicks of its tail. It's completely reef safe and peaceful toward unrelated tankmates, saving any defensive attitude for guarding its own burrow entrance. It can get genuinely territorial toward other shrimp gobies or similar burrow-dwellers sharing its substrate, though, so keep just one shrimp goby species per tank unless the aquarium is quite large.

Aquarium Requirements
Substrate and a lid are the essentials. Give it a tank of at least 30 gallons with a sand bed of at least 2 to 3 inches, ideally mixed with fine rubble or coral gravel so a paired pistol shrimp has good material to build a stable burrow. Seat your rockwork firmly on the tank bottom rather than on the sand, since burrowing can otherwise undermine loose rock and shift it. Because this goby spends most of its day hovering near its burrow rather than swimming out in the open, scattering small rocks and rubble near the sand gives it the confidence to stay visible. A tight-fitting, gap-free lid is strongly recommended, as it's a capable jumper, especially when startled or newly introduced. Gentle to moderate flow works best, directed away from the burrow entrance, since strong turbulence makes it hard for the goby and shrimp to keep their shared home intact. Feed frozen mysis, enriched brine, and finely chopped seafood.

Specifications
Approximate Size: 2.5–3.5"
Diet: Carnivore; frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, and finely chopped seafood
Origin: Western Indian Ocean
Care Level: Moderate
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Special Considerations: Needs a sand bed of at least 2–3 inches with fine rubble for burrowing; a capable jumper that needs a gap-free lid; seat rockwork on the tank bottom rather than the sand, as a paired pistol shrimp can undermine loose rock; forms a beneficial partnership with a pistol shrimp, but may be territorial toward other shrimp gobies, so keep just one shrimp goby species per tank