Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon Okinawae)

Also Known As: Yellow Coral Goby

Compatibility and Behavior
The Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae) is a drop of pure canary yellow, and at .75-1.5" it's about as small and cheerful as reef fish come. The solid yellow body, rounded profile, big expressive eyes, and stubby fins give it a toy-like look, and like its green cousin, it's a perch-and-hop fish rather than a swimmer, content to sit on a rock ledge, frag plug, or coral branch and dart short distances between them. That habit makes it a lot of fun in a nano tank. Temperament is peaceful, suiting a calm community of other small, gentle fish like small clownfish, gobies, and firefish, and it ignores most mobile inverts and larger fish. As with the whole Gobiodon group, its tie to branching SPS is both the charm and the caveat: it uses Acropora and similar corals for shelter and spawning, and while it's kept in SPS and mixed reefs all the time, it may occasionally irritate or cause localized recession in delicate colonies where it perches or nests, so reef safe with caution is the fair call around prized Acropora. It can also get territorial with its own kind in tight quarters unless kept as a compatible pair.

Aquarium Requirements
Care mirrors the other clown gobies almost exactly. The tiny size makes it a natural nano fish, with a system around 10 to 20 gallons or more a sensible start for a single goby and more room wanted for a mixed community of Clown Gobies. Give it abundant small ledges, caves, and branching rock or coral to perch on, since structure matters far more to this fish than volume. Moderate, indirect flow keeps water moving across its perches without knocking it off, and stable, mature conditions help it feel secure enough to stay out in view. Round out whatever microfauna it picks off the rock with a varied diet of small meaty foods like mysis, enriched brine, finely chopped seafood, and quality micro pellets.

Specifications
Approximate Size: 0.75–1.5"
Diet: Carnivore; small meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine, finely chopped seafood, and quality micro pellets
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Care Level: Easy to moderate
Reef Safe: With caution
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons for a single specimen, with more space needed for pairs or mixed communities
Special Considerations: Reef safe with caution, as it may irritate SPS corals or cause localized tissue recession where it perches or nests; may be territorial toward its own kind in very small tanks so ensure enough space if keeping multiple Clown Gobies