Behaviour

This small goby is shy and quite difficult to approach. It is black with a white patch and white bars on its back but its most conspicuous features are the black spotted transparent pectoral fins which are disproportionally large and which are continuously waved around in an alternating fashion giving the appearance of a larger creature. This tiny goby keeps in such close contact with its shrimp that it can be difficult to get a clear image of the shrimp in isolation. We have seen a very small goby carried on the shrimp’s body, securely held in position by an antenna in contact on each side. It may even have been resting lightly on the prawn’s back though the load of this tiny neutrally buoyant fish would be imperceptible.

The shrimp and goby appear to spend only a limited time outside the burrow. At other times the entrance is sealed. As an experiment, we once swept away the soft sand from between the pebbles at the burrow entrance. When the shrimp emerged it started a careful exploration of the familiar but unfamiliar terrain. This took some time and it appeared that the shrimp was learning the changes. The pair were outside the burrow for much longer than their usual pattern. We have this recorded on video.