# Color change in Watchman gobies



## Paul B

This is what this fish looked two years ago in it's yellow phase.
She has recently changed to look like the next picture, this is the same fish



















Eventually they look like this old married couple. I don't remember how old they are but they have been spawning for a few years. I have four of them that all get along together although they chase the young one.


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## jrodriguez

the first one does not look like the second one becuz look at the top fin...the first one is spikey and the second one is round

not to convinced that they are the same fish


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## Paul B

Well, they are. That first picture is the day I bought that baby fish and the second picture is the same fish a couple of years later.


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## Joey

in the first one like you you say that you had just bought it he didn't have a good care in your LFS or where ever you got him from.He looks stressed out and likeif some one beat him up.And the second one is that he is now feeling safe at home and no one is bothering him for me he now looks healthy and nice.But keep in mind gobbys do change color at night.I had a blue spotted gobby and he was realy realy yellow and one night i woke up and looked at my tank.He was out of his cave and he was realy pale i thought he was dead and he moved and inthe morning he was yellow again.I think thats there way of disguise them selfs in the night from every one else and be able to move around.


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## drhank

Well when I look at my wedding photo and then look in the mirror I see quite a change too. Guess that's what happens when you loose youth. *old dude


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## jrodriguez

lol

i dont really know much about gobies

but the first pic shows stress...alot he looks skinny


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## ladyonyx

It's amazing how much fish change in appearance when they are given a happy home and little time to mature


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## Paul B

Hank, so true
Joey, yes I know fish turn pale at night or when stressed, The adult pair has been with me for maybe five years or more. Many fish change color and appearance totally. Some young fish look nothing like the adults, French Angels, Koran Angels, blue head wrasses, Coris wrasses etc. I have a few of those gobies and two of them I got small. Both of them turned the adult color after a couple of years.
I have this tank set up for just about 40 years and I have seen a lot of fish change colors.
In that first picture in the yellow phase, that fish is not stressed or beaten up although it is a little skinny. Thats the way they look when young, their fins fill in later as they did with this one.

Here is one of the adults tending her eggs









And here are the adults a few years ago when they first started to spawn

<a href="http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/?action=view&current=2008reef011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2008reef011.jpg" border="0" alt="Gobies"></a>


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## drhank

I very realistic reef photo, right down to the discarded bottle.


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## beaslbob

We have a local here who actually raised a watchman gobie from spawing. She got thousands and got only 1 to survive for a couple of years.

My yellow watchman gobie changed from yellow to grey over about an 8 month period and remainded that color for years.

According to the local (and supported with pictures) the female turns a drab grey as they mature. The male remains a bright yellow. Prior to spawing the mail would swim over the female with its belly rubbing against the top fin of the female. Over 3-4 weeks the female would become fat with eggs then the spawing would occure.

So if your watchman gobie has turned grey and fattened up, it probably is a female.

If she has a yellow as a mate that is the male.

And they are probably protecting a cave which is thier nest and chasing the younger gobies away.

So all in all sound normal and should make for an interesting display.


my .02


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## beaslbob

paul

I followed up with another local club member.

here is an interesting link on raising yellow watchman gobies:


Spawning and Rearing the Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) by Amy Drehmel - Reefkeeping.com

Seems you have to start with "s" rotifers (smaller then L or normal rotifers). Switch to "L" rotifers at about 14 days then to baby brine shrimp at 28 days.

It also mentions the color differences.


FWIW rumor has it the mated pair of our local member actually seemed to switch sex at times.

My .02


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## beaslbob

And now everyone knows the sump total of what I have read about any saltwaterfish raising.


*reading


my .02


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## Paul B

Beaslbob, all of my mature gobies including both of them in the mated pair are gray. Two young ones that I bought as yellow turned gray also. They have been spawning for years in their gray phase.

I know how to raise them, I just don't do that anymore because I don't have the time.


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## beaslbob

Paul B said:


> Beaslbob, all of my mature gobies including both of them in the mated pair are gray. Two young ones that I bought as yellow turned gray also. They have been spawning for years in their gray phase.
> 
> I know how to raise them, I just don't do that anymore because I don't have the time.


Interesting and thanks.

I learn so much here.


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## Paul B

> I very realistic reef photo, right down to the discarded bottle.


Doc, if you like that, your really going to like this


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