Flaming Prawn Goby

The Flaming Prawn Goby, Discordipinna griessingeri, is one of the smallest and most visually distinctive gobies available for the marine aquarium. Its tiny body is patterned with brilliant orange-red, white, yellow, and dark markings, while dramatically elongated first dorsal spines create the flame-like profile responsible for one of its common names. Reaching only about 1.2 inches at maximum adult size, this miniature saltwater fish offers remarkable detail and personality in an exceptionally compact package.

Native to a broad region of the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to the Marquesas Islands, including Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Discordipinna griessingeri inhabits reef environments containing live coral, rubble, and sand. It is a benthic and highly secretive species that spends much of its time close to the substrate, slipping through small crevices and sheltered spaces within the reef.

The Flaming Prawn Goby is peaceful and completely suitable for reef aquariums, but its diminutive size and reserved behavior require thoughtful tankmate selection and careful feeding. It is particularly appealing in established nano reefs where its intricate coloration and unusual movements can be appreciated without competition from large or aggressive marine aquarium fish.

Quick Care Guide

Care Level: Moderate
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore / Microcrustacean Feeder
Reef Safe: Yes
Region: Indo-Pacific – Red Sea to the Marquesas Islands
Scientific Name: Discordipinna griessingeri

Tank Requirements

Provide a mature, biologically established saltwater aquarium with plenty of live rock, coral rubble, caves, narrow crevices, and sheltered areas near the substrate. The Flaming Prawn Goby naturally leads a cryptic lifestyle and should have numerous locations where it can retreat without being disturbed.

A combination of fine sand, rubble, and mature rockwork closely matches its natural habitat and also supports copepods and other microfauna that can serve as supplemental food. Avoid an overly sterile aquascape with limited shelter.

Moderate reef-style circulation is appropriate, but calmer areas should be available along the bottom and within the rockwork where this tiny goby can rest and feed comfortably. A secure lid is recommended because small gobies can escape through surprisingly small openings.

Because of its extremely small size, large aquariums containing numerous fast-feeding fish are not necessarily ideal. The fish should be housed where its feeding can be observed and where food can reach its territory without excessive competition.

Diet and Feeding

The Flaming Prawn Goby is a small carnivorous micropredator that feeds on tiny crustaceans and other microfauna associated with reef rubble and substrate. An established aquarium containing a healthy population of copepods provides valuable natural feeding opportunities.

Offer appropriately sized foods such as live copepods, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, small frozen copepods, finely chopped mysis shrimp, rotifers, and other tiny marine planktonic foods. Some acclimated individuals may accept very small pellets or prepared nano-fish foods, but acceptance of prepared foods varies.

Small, frequent feedings are preferable because this fish has a tiny mouth and can easily be outcompeted by larger or faster tankmates. Target feeding near its preferred hiding area can be helpful, particularly during acclimation.

Do not assume that an aquarium's existing copepod population will provide unlimited food. Monitor body condition and supplement regularly when needed.

Temperament and Tankmates

The Flaming Prawn Goby is exceptionally peaceful and is best kept with similarly calm, small marine fish. Suitable companions include peaceful nano gobies and other non-predatory reef species that will not harass it or dominate feeding time.

Avoid large, aggressive, or predatory fish that could view this tiny goby as prey. Fast and highly competitive feeders can also make long-term care difficult even if they show no direct aggression.

A single specimen works well, and compatible individuals may also be maintained together in appropriately structured aquariums with sufficient hiding areas and food resources.

Despite its common name, the Flaming Prawn Goby is not a typical shrimp goby and is not known for forming the classic symbiotic burrow partnership with pistol shrimp.

Reef Compatibility

The Flaming Prawn Goby is reef safe and poses essentially no threat to healthy corals, clams, ornamental shrimp, crabs, or snails. Its feeding activity is directed toward tiny crustaceans and other microfauna rather than coral tissue or larger ornamental invertebrates.

Its tiny size and peaceful behavior make it particularly suitable for mature nano reef aquariums containing delicate corals and small invertebrates.

Very small copepods and other reef microfauna will naturally be consumed as part of its diet, which is normal feeding behavior for the species.

Water Parameters

Temperature: 73–80°F
Specific Gravity: 1.024–1.026
pH: 8.1–8.4
Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

Stable water quality is especially important for such a small reef fish. Maintain consistent temperature and salinity, avoid detectable ammonia or nitrite, and prioritize stability rather than continually adjusting parameters to reach exact numbers.

Common Considerations

• Maximum adult size is only about 1.2 inches, making appropriate tankmate selection especially important.

• This is a secretive species that may spend considerable time hidden within rubble and rock crevices, particularly after introduction.

• Provide mature live rock and a healthy microfauna population to support natural feeding behavior.

• Small foods and careful feeding are essential because larger, faster fish can easily outcompete it.

• Despite the name “Prawn Goby,” this species does not form the typical pistol-shrimp partnership associated with true shrimp gobies.