Luther Prawn Goby

The Luther Prawn Goby is a fascinating symbiotic species that forms a mutualistic partnership with alpheid pistol shrimp in the wild and in captivity. This goby acts as the eyes of the partnership, standing guard at the entrance to the shared burrow while the nearly blind shrimp maintains and excavates their home. The shrimp keeps one antenna in constant contact with the goby's tail, and when the goby senses danger, a quick flick of its tail fin signals both partners to retreat into the burrow.

Reaching a modest 2.5 inches, the Luther Prawn Goby features an attractive cream to white body marked with irregular brown and orange spots and blotches, often with a distinctive pattern of bars on the head. Its large, elevated eyes are perfectly adapted for its role as a sentinel, providing excellent panoramic vision to detect approaching predators. This species is more understated in appearance than some of the showier watchman gobies, but its symbiotic behavior more than compensates with endless entertainment value.

Captive-bred Luther Prawn Gobies are available, and when paired with a compatible pistol shrimp species such as Alpheus randalli or Alpheus bellulus, they will readily establish their symbiotic relationship in the home aquarium. Even without a shrimp partner, this goby will excavate burrows in the substrate and make an engaging aquarium inhabitant. A fine sand substrate and plenty of live rock rubble are essential for this species to thrive.