Steinitz' Prawn-Goby
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- Name / Latin
- Steinitz' Prawn-Goby — Amblyeleotris steinitzi
- Brief description
- A small bottom-dwelling fish with a long body and large eyes. It has a pale or light-colored body with wide orange-brown vertical bands. It lives together with a pistol shrimp and they share a burrow.
- Size:
- ~13 cm
- Depth:
- 2–43 m
- Habitat:
- Indo-Pacific region (from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific)
- Family:
- Gobiidae
- Type:
- Fish
- Activity:
- Diurnal
- Conservation status:
- Least Concern (LC) — not threatened according to IUCN
Steinitz' prawn-goby (Amblyeleotris steinitzi) is a small bottom-dwelling fish that usually grows up to 13 cm long. It has a slim, elongated body with a pale color that can range from white to light beige. The body has several wide vertical orange or reddish-brown bands. The fish has large expressive eyes and a tall dorsal fin. Its tail fin is round, and it uses its long pectoral fins to rest on the sea floor.
Steinitz' prawn-goby lives in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in shallow coastal waters and on coral reefs. It prefers sandy or gravelly bottoms where it can easily dig burrows. This species is well known for its symbiotic relationship with alpheid shrimps, also called pistol shrimps. The goby and the shrimp share a burrow: the shrimp keeps the burrow clean and in good shape, while the goby acts as a guard and warns about predators.
Amblyeleotris steinitzi reproduces by external fertilization. During the breeding season, males and females form pairs. The female lays eggs in a safe place inside the burrow. The male fertilizes the eggs, and both parents guard them until they hatch. The larvae are pelagic — they drift in the open water before settling down and growing into young fish.
The goby mostly eats small invertebrates like crustaceans and worms. It uses its sharp eyesight to spot prey and catches it by quickly jumping out of the burrow. The fish also eats small amounts of algae and detritus.
This is a shy fish that quickly hides in its burrow at the first sign of danger. Its small size and peaceful nature make it completely harmless to humans.
