Blue Gudgeon goby extremely shy

[fryman]

I have a single Blue Gudgeon goby that hides in his burrow 99% of the time. I see him maybe once a week, usually during feeding. When he sees me he hides. I dunno what I did to traumatize the poor little guy. Other fish in this tank are very peaceful and don't pay any attention to him.

I have the option of getting a few more but if they just hide all the time like this I don't see the point. I've been told that other similar fiah might bring him out of his shell. I have a pair of helfrichi firefish in the tank that he sometimes hangs with. But it's been 3 months and if anything he's now even more skittish than at the beginning.

It reminds me of my possom wrasse, who was like this at the beginning but now is always out and visible, so maybe I just need to give it time. But it took many months, maybe even a year before the wrasse got comfortable.

Anyone else have this fish before? Are they typically like this?

 

[JGT]

I have 2 zebra striped dartfish. Same behavior. Live in their cave, come out to eat
And sometimes will venture out but pretty shy. They also periodically will just lay on the sand. Thought they were dead when they first did it.