Pink Speckled Shrimp Goby

Cryptocentrus leptocephalus

Pink Speckled Shrimp Goby

Cryptocentrus leptocephalus

Other Common Names
Leptocephalus Prawn-goby, Pink-spotted Shrimp Goby

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Leptocephalus Prawn-goby, Pink-spotted Shrimp Goby

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

The pink speckled shrimp goby is recognizable by its pink or red spots and stripes. They also have dark bars on their bodies with small white spots on their head and sides. Their eyes are set high on their head, which helps them spot predators. The pink speckled shrimp goby can grow up to 10 cm.

Habitat

Lives in the sand, silt, mud, and rubble areas of seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs. Found at depths of 3-25 m.

Diet

Small invertebrates

Life History

Female pink speckled shrimp goby lay their eggs in a nest which are then fertilized and guarded by a male. There is not a lot known on the life history of the pink speckled shrimp goby, however, similarly to many species of gobies, once eggs hatch they develop into larvae that drift in the ocean currents. Eventually, they swim back towards the bottom and settle.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Pink speckled shrimp gobies live symbiotically in a burrow with alpheid shrimps. These shrimps are virtually blind and rely on the pink speckled shrimp goby to warn them when a predator is near. The shrimp uses one of its antennae to almost always remain in physical contact with a goby so it can react at the slightest movement. In exchange, the goby benefits by being accepted in the burrow, which the shrimp maintains. Pink speckled shrimp gobies contribute to the food chain by being prey for many other fishes.

Distributed in the western Pacific Ocean from Singapore and Indonesia to northern Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga northward to the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, and the Yaeyama Islands, Japan.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

To observe the pink speckled shrimp goby, be very patient and wait until they are ready to come out of their hiding place. This species is a part of the family Gobiidae which is the largest family of marine fishes in the world, with over 1,850 species. Their pelvic fins join up underneath their belly to form a disc similar to a suction cup. This helps them cling to rocks and other surfaces. They also use this disc to rest on.

Citations & Other Resources

H. Zell, Gobius melanopus – 1, CC BY-SA 3.0

Larson, H., D. Hoese, E. Murdy, F. Pezold, K. Cole & K. Shibukawa. 2021. Cryptocentrus leptocephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.

Allen, G. R. 2013. Field Guide to Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia. Western Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia.

Taquet, M., and A. Diringer. 2012. Fishes of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Quae, Versailles, France.

Pink Speckled Shrimp Goby

Pink Speckled Shrimp Goby

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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