Our October 2021 Fish of the Month is here to get your in the mood for Halloween. Meet the Dracula Shrimpgoby (Stonogobiops dracula)!
Survey Regions: The Dracula Shrimpgoby is resticted to the Western Indian Ocean including the Maldives, part of REEF's Indian Ocean and Red Sea (IORS) survey region. Click here to see the distribution report for this species in the REEF database.
Size: They grow to just under 3 inches.
Identifying Features: They have a white body with dark, blood red bands and a yellow wash on the snout. Larger individuals will also develop thin bands between the thicker ones. They look similar to the Yellownose Shrimpgoby (S. xanthorhinica) found in the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) and South Pacific (SOP) survey regions.
Fun Facts: Dracula Shrimpgobies live in sand and rubble areas, often in pairs. Like other shrimpgobies, they live symbiotically with a blind shrimp, who helps to excavate and maintain the burrow while the goby watches for danger and finds food. While some shrimpgobies may live with a variety of shrimp species, the Dracula Shrimpgoby is found exclusively with the Red-banded Snapping Shrimp, Alpheus randalli.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
[Photo by Christy Semmens]