Stonogobiops xanthorhinica

Hoese & Randall, 1982

Yellownose Prawn Goby

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, northern Great Barrier Reef, and Southern Japan.

Size: 3 inches (6 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits sandy bottom areas on deep coastal slopes and sand flats where it lives in association with Alpheus bellulus and usually found at depths between 65 to 150 feet (20 – 45 m) where it feeds on tiny benthic invertebrates and zooplankton.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade having a whitish body with several slanted dark brown body bars, and some yellow on the forehead.

Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums having some rocky crevices for hiding, a sandbed of at least two inches (5 cm) in depth to create its burrow and peaceful tankmates so it can feed without being interfered with when feeding time arrives.

Should not be housed with aggressive fishes such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or aggressive angelfishes.

Requires a meaty diet, i.e., enriched brine shrimp, mysis, finely chopped fish or shrimp flesh, and other various frozen carnivore foods, and fed twice daily.

Small sinking enriched shrimp meal pellets may also help keep it well fed.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Gobioidei

Family: Gobiidae

Genus: Stonogobiops

FYI: Spends most of its time resting on the substrate.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5