Barber Goby

The Barber Goby is a charming cleaner species endemic to the coastal waters of Brazil, where it was first described from the rocky reefs near Arraial do Cabo. Like other members of the Elacatinus genus, this tiny goby establishes cleaning stations on prominent coral heads and rock outcroppings, where larger fish queue up to have parasites and dead skin removed. Its bold neon stripe serves as an advertisement to potential clients, signaling its cleaning services from a distance.

In the home aquarium, the Barber Goby is an ideal nano reef inhabitant. At a maximum size of just 1.5 inches, it requires minimal space and produces a negligible bioload. This species readily accepts captive-bred specimens, which are increasingly available in the hobby. Captive-bred individuals tend to be hardier and more readily accept prepared foods compared to their wild-caught counterparts.

The Barber Goby's cleaning behavior is fascinating to observe in a home aquarium, as it will actively attend to tankmates, picking at their skin and gill covers. This mutualistic behavior provides genuine health benefits to other fish in the system while offering the goby a natural food source. The species is extremely peaceful and poses no threat to corals, invertebrates, or other tankmates.