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Diamond watchman goby, photographed on a transparent background

ReefIn the market300 coinsCommon

Diamond watchman goby

Valenciennea puellaris

It sifts sand through its gills, resurfacing the bottom all day long.

The Diamond watchman goby (Valenciennea puellaris) is a tropical marine fish of the family Gobiidae. It lives on and around reefs, between 2 and 84 m deep. Adults grow to about 13 cm; the largest on record measured 20 cm (standard length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 120 cm long and water at 23–27 °C.

Size
13 cm
Smallest tank
120 cm
Temperature
23–27 °C
Care
Moderate

In the aquarium

Temperature23–27 °C
pH7.8–8.5
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Moderate
Water layer
Bottom
Group
Lives on its own
Coral
Nips corals
Drawn to scale in a 120 cm tank

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

  • Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
  • Standard90 cm · 180 litresToo small
  • Wide120 cm · 300 litres18 of them
  • Living room180 cm · 650 litres40 of them
  • Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres75 of them
  • Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres90 of them

Who it lives with

In the wild

Water type
Marine
Climate zone
Tropical
Habitat
Coral and rocky reefs
Largest on record
20 cmstandard length, tail fin excluded
Aquarium trade
Traded commercially

Depth

Conservation status

Classification

  1. OrderGobiiformes
  2. FamilyGobiidae
  3. GenusValenciennea
  4. SpeciesValenciennea puellaris

In other languages

English
Orange-dashed Goby
French
Gobie tacheté d'orange
Japanese
オトメハゼ
Chinese
點帶范氏塘鱧

Quick answers

Diamond watchman goby size: how big does it get?
Adults reach about 13 cm. The largest on record measured 20 cm (standard length). Record sizes among the 8 Valenciennea species on LumaReef: 10 cm (Little Glidergoby) to 25 cm (Blacklined Glidergoby).
Diamond watchman goby tank size: what is the minimum?
A tank at least 120 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Wide tank or larger.
Diamond watchman goby water parameters: what does it need?
Temperature 23–27 °C, pH 7.8–8.5. Close to what most Gobiidae on LumaReef need (22–27 °C).
Diamond watchman goby tank mates: what can it live with?
It gets along with 89 of the 99 reef species in the catalogue, such as Tomato clownfish, Kole tang, and Lemonpeel angelfish.
Diamond watchman goby: alone or in a group?
It can be kept on its own.
Diamond watchman goby and corals: is it reef safe?
No, it may nip at corals.
Diamond watchman goby depth: how deep does it live?
In the wild, 2 to 84 m down. Deeper than most Valenciennea on LumaReef (1–25 m).

All Gobiidae speciesAll species A–Z

Sources

Diamond watchman goby: compiled from these references.