Stonogobiops dracula is not a vampire, or a bloodsucker of any kind really. More commonly called Dracula Gobies, or Dracula Shrimp Gobies, these little fish get their name more from their coloration than anything else. In old films, Count Dracula often wore a tuxedo, and these colors are matched somewhat by the stark black stripes on the white body of the Goby, with every other stripe giving the fish a splash of blood red and voila! Dracula.
This is a fish with a very small native range, being found really only around a few islands in the western Indian Ocean. This small range and remote location results in these fish being somewhat rarer than most other Shrimp Gobies. In these locations, they're usually found on relatively shallow reef edges (less than 100 feet of water -ish) and close to cover and where there is adequate sand for them to burrow out homes and forage for food. They are usually found either singly or in pairs and frequently sharing a burrow with a Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus randalli). This pairing, and the unique display it creates is achievable in the home aquarium. The fish and the shrimp will cohabit the same burrow and both will maintain it. It's one of the coolest displays of symbiotic behavior you can see in a personal tank.
There is nothing Dracula-like about these fish when it comes to dinnertime and they are very straightforward to feed. They'll happily accept a wide variety of frozen (thawed) food like Gamma Mysis, Chopped Prawn and Mussel, Bloodworms, and any of the fortified brine products that Gamma has on offer (among other things). They'll also take Nutramar Ova and can be trained over time to also take Nutramar Complete Pellets. The one challenge to feeding them is that they are very active, and need to be fed at least twice a day, and more wouldn't hurt (getting them on pellets will make this easier, as autofeeders can be a real difference maker). They are also very shy and tend to hide when there are fast movements in or around the tank. Click here to read more
This is a fish with a very small native range, being found really only around a few islands in the western Indian Ocean. This small range and remote location results in these fish being somewhat rarer than most other Shrimp Gobies. In these locations, they're usually found on relatively shallow reef edges (less than 100 feet of water -ish) and close to cover and where there is adequate sand for them to burrow out homes and forage for food. They are usually found either singly or in pairs and frequently sharing a burrow with a Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus randalli). This pairing, and the unique display it creates is achievable in the home aquarium. The fish and the shrimp will cohabit the same burrow and both will maintain it. It's one of the coolest displays of symbiotic behavior you can see in a personal tank.
There is nothing Dracula-like about these fish when it comes to dinnertime and they are very straightforward to feed. They'll happily accept a wide variety of frozen (thawed) food like Gamma Mysis, Chopped Prawn and Mussel, Bloodworms, and any of the fortified brine products that Gamma has on offer (among other things). They'll also take Nutramar Ova and can be trained over time to also take Nutramar Complete Pellets. The one challenge to feeding them is that they are very active, and need to be fed at least twice a day, and more wouldn't hurt (getting them on pellets will make this easier, as autofeeders can be a real difference maker). They are also very shy and tend to hide when there are fast movements in or around the tank. Click here to read more
