Territorial or Mating Behavior in Wheeler Gobies?

CarolinaShoreReef · Feb 6, 2022

Would you call this behavior territorial or mating? I've not seen it before. These gobies were not bought paired and were bought a week apart. They both live under that rock. The goby that first approaches usually hangs out on the other side of the rock and watches the other half of the tank while the one that came out with its jaws wide open hangs out in the area of the tank shown. Now I have seen both hang out in the open on my mushrooms. Just never seen it flare its jaws like that at the other.

CarolinaShoreReef · Feb 6, 2022

i cant think · Feb 7, 2022

It seems that it is breeding behaviour (Commonly seen in two gobies when one is larger than the other). You have a pair. Gobies are hermaphrodites, this can either be Protandrous (Male-Female) or Protogynous (Female-Male). The easiest way to pair a goby is:
Find a juvenile/small adult, a small adult will most likely be female and a juvenile will definitely be female. Then find a larger specimen than the already gained female and put them into the tank. If they are definite females/1 Female, 1 Male you should have a pair. I’m tempting on finding a female for my current yasha and pairing her.

CarolinaShoreReef · Feb 7, 2022

Awesome I didn't think they could pair that quickly and had no idea they were also hermas!

Zionas · Feb 7, 2022

Gobiodon I think might be simultaneous or something similar to that. They’re also capable of adjusting their sex back and forth according to their needs and social dynamics.

CarolinaShoreReef · Feb 7, 2022

That is incredible! Been in the hobby several years and it continues to capture my interests!

i cant think · Feb 7, 2022

CarolinaShoreReef said:
That is incredible! Been in the hobby several years and it continues to capture my interests!

I know right! Some of the most well known families still have secrets that even older reefers don’t know! I mean, my hectors goby does a better job than my blenny does at algae work haha, actually eats it from the sand AND rocks.