About Stonogobiops nematodes Hoese & Randall, 1982
Species and Common Names
Stonogobiops nematodes, commonly known by many common names including filament-finned prawn-goby, antenna goby, high-fin goby, red-banded goby, high-fin red-banded goby, striped goby, barber-pole goby, and black-ray goby, is a species of marine goby.
Geographic Distribution
It is native to the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Seychelles to the Philippines and Bali.
Natural Habitat
In its natural environment, this goby lives on sandy or sand-rubble bottoms adjacent to reefs, at depths between 15 and 25 metres (49 to 82 ft).
Commensal Relationship
It is one of multiple goby species that form commensal relationships with Randall's pistol shrimp, Alpheus randalli.
Aquarium Substrate and Environment Requirements
For successful aquarium keeping, this fish requires good sand or coral rubble substrate to build burrows, plus plenty of rock cover, and it does well in reef aquariums.
Recommended Minimum Tank Size
The recommended minimum tank size is 10 gallons (40 litres).
Small Aquarium Suitability
However, since these fish spend most of the day hiding in burrows rather than being active swimmers, they can also be kept in smaller "pico" aquariums defined as 4 gallons and under.
Ideal Aquarium Water Parameters
Ideal aquarium water conditions are a specific gravity of 1.020 to 1.025, a pH of 8.1 to 8.4, and a water temperature between 72–78 °F (22–26 °C).
Acceptable Maximum Water Temperature
Water temperatures as high as 80 °F (27 °C) will not harm this fish.
