ReefPicker
← Livestock checker
Yellow Clown Goby
Goby

Yellow Clown Goby

Gobiodon okinawae

A thumbnail-sized, banana-yellow goby that spends its life perched in the branches of SPS coral, watching the tank with big expressive eyes. It is peaceful, nano-friendly, and utterly harmless to inverts, with one caveat for SPS keepers: it will nip Acropora polyps and a female may lay eggs on a branch, causing minor localised recession — a caution, never a blanket reef-no. Keep one unless the tank has several coral heads to spread out territory.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
1.4"
Min tank
10 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Planktivore
Zone
Rockwork
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
Something look wrong? Report an error

Tankmates

How Yellow Clown Goby gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Maroon ClownfishMaroon Clownfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Blue DamselBlue Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Coral HawkfishA Yellow Clown Goby sits on coral branches in plain sight and is small enough to swallow. That is precisely the Coral Hawkfish's hunting ground and prey size.Purple DottybackPurple Dottyback (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Green Clown GobyYellow Clown Goby and Green Clown Goby are the same genus (Gobiodon) and will fight — keep only one.Antennata LionfishAntennata Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Royal DottybackRoyal Dottyback (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Citron Clown GobyYellow Clown Goby and Citron Clown Goby are the same genus (Gobiodon) and will fight — keep only one.Fiji Blue Devil DamselFiji Blue Devil Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Domino DamselDomino Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Falco HawkfishA perching Falco darts out at tiny bottom fish; a 3.5 cm clown goby can be nipped or eaten.Arc-Eye HawkfishA 3.5 cm clown goby fits the 14 cm Arc-eye’s mouth; it picks off smaller fish from its perch.Marine BettaA 3.5 cm clown goby easily fits the Marine Betta’s gape; this slow nocturnal ambush predator picks off tiny bottom fish at night.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.Zebra Dwarf LionfishZebra Dwarf Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.Fuzzy Dwarf LionfishFuzzy Dwarf Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Clown Goby.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Lemonpeel AngelfishLemonpeel Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Bicolor AngelfishBicolor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Red Saddleback ClownfishRed Saddleback Clownfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Yellow TangYellow Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Red Sea ClownfishRed Sea Clownfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Kole TangKole Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Powder Blue TangPowder Blue Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Melanurus WrasseMelanurus Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Midas BlennyMidas Blenny (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Longnose HawkfishLongnose Hawkfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Convict TangConvict Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Clark's ClownfishClark's Clownfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Tomato ClownfishTomato Clownfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Saddleback ClownfishSaddleback Clownfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Forktail BlennyForktail Blenny (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Starry BlennyStarry Blenny (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Regal AngelfishRegal Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.