Flagtail Pinkbar Goby saltwater fish care guide

Also sold as the Pinkbar or Sunburst Goby, Amblyeleotris aurora is a slender, elongated shrimp goby with a clean white body crossed by bright pink to reddish-brown vertical bars. A tall, sail-like dorsal fin and a bright yellow caudal fin flecked with orange give the fish its sunburst appearance, and a slanted pink bar beneath the eye separates it from other similar shrimp gobies. Adults reach roughly 4 inches. The species ranges from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa through the western Indian Ocean to Indonesia, where it occupies clear coastal and outer reef sand and rubble flats at depths of about 20 to 35 meters, always near a burrow shared with a pistol shrimp.

Adult housing begins at 30 gallons, and the substrate matters more than the footprint. Provide a thick bed of fine sand at least 2 inches deep with a scattering of rock rubble so the goby and its shrimp partner can excavate and shore up a tunnel; the burrow should have room to run at least an inch and a half longer than the fish itself. Arranging rockwork to form stable overhangs gives the burrow entrance additional security. This is a largely sedentary fish that hovers at the mouth of its hole and vanishes inside at the first sign of movement, so open sand within sight of the rock is more valuable than swimming room. A tight-fitting lid is essential, as startled individuals will jump.

On the reef, the Aurora Goby takes small crustaceans, worms, and zooplankton picked from the sand and the water immediately above it. It is a carnivore and does not graze algae, so the diet in captivity should lean on meaty items of appropriate size. Frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, cyclops, and finely chopped seafood are all accepted readily, and most specimens adjust to prepared foods quickly.

Feed twice daily, making sure a portion of the food actually reaches the substrate where this goby forages rather than being swept away in the current or intercepted by faster midwater fish. Newly introduced individuals benefit from more frequent offerings until they have claimed a burrow and settled in. Once established in a mature system with a productive sand bed, the fish supplements itself with natural prey and can be fed less often.

Frozen Mysis Shrimp Frozen Brine Shrimp Cyclops Finely Chopped Seafood Small Crustaceans Zooplankton
Peaceful toward unrelated species, the Aurora Goby spends its day perched at the burrow entrance or making short hops across the sand. Aggression is reserved for its own kind and for other shrimp gobies, particularly in modest systems, and two unpaired individuals will fight. Unless you have a confirmed mated pair, keep one Aurora Goby per tank, and limit the display to a single shrimp goby species unless the aquarium is large enough to offer widely separated territories. Mated pairs sometimes spawn inside the shared burrow with the male tending the eggs, though the planktonic larvae are very difficult to rear. Tankmates should be calm community reef fish; wrasses and similar diggers that disturb the sand at night can unsettle this goby in smaller volumes.

The centerpiece of keeping this species is its partnership with pistol shrimp of the genus Alpheus. The nearly blind shrimp excavates and maintains the tunnel while the goby stands sentry above it, signaling danger through antennal contact or a flick of the tail. The Aurora Goby is fully reef safe, leaving corals, clams, and other sessile invertebrates alone, and poses no threat to shrimp, crabs, or snails. Its care requirements sit at a moderate level largely because of the specific substrate, burrow security, and feeding access it needs.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Aurora Goby

  • Do I need a pistol shrimp to keep an Aurora Goby?
    A pistol shrimp is not strictly required, but it is strongly recommended. Paired with an Alpheus shrimp, the goby forms its natural burrow-sharing partnership and behaves far more confidently.
  • Is the Aurora Goby safe with corals and clams?
    Yes. It is reef safe and will not harm corals, clams, or other sessile invertebrates, nor does it bother ornamental shrimp, crabs, or snails.
  • Can I keep more than one Aurora Goby together?
    Only as a confirmed mated pair. Unpaired individuals and other shrimp goby species will fight over territory, so a single specimen per tank is the safer approach.