The black-striped goby or Stonogobiops nematode belongs to the Gobiidae family. The black skate is endemic to the western Indo-Pacific region. Inhabits sandy ocean floors and rocky outcrops off the Philippines and Indonesia at depths ranging from 15 to 30 meters.

This species of goby has a thin, elongated white body with vertical black markings. Its head is yellow and its ends are translucent. This is a smaller marine species. It only gets about two inches in length when fully grown.

The saltwater aquarium industry also markets this species under the following names; black-striped shrimp goby, black-striped shrimp goby and high-finned shrimp goby. You will notice that each of these names contains a reference to a crustacean in them. This is due to its symbiotic relationship with Randall’s shrimp and the (candy-striped) pistol shrimp. These shrimp will share a burrow with a pair of gobies for mutual protection. It is recommended to add two species instead of one to your reef tank.

A word of caution: Pistol shrimp do not share the benign nature of their roommates. Pistols will exhibit predatory behavior towards most other smaller species of shrimp.

These little guys are docile to the point of being shy. They are considered completely benign and pose no threat to the typical inhabitants of a marine reef aquarium. They are so shy that they will instinctively seek shelter when first introduced to their new environment. It can take weeks for them to work up the courage to leave their sanctuary and begin exploring their new surroundings. They show their aggression by opening their mouths very wide and yawning at their would-be assailant. If that doesn’t scare the bee-geebies away, they’ll turn and run. The only thing that starts an aggressive streak in these little guys is trying to keep the males together in a smaller tank. Black rays are the perfect tank mates for more fragile species like seahorses and pipefish.

These gobies are bottom dwellers. They have a tendency to burrow into the sandy substrate to hide when frightened. Therefore, you will want to use sand as a substrate. They should also be provided with other hiding places in the aquarium floor. Avoid crowding your reef tank with bottom dwellers. You don’t want them to have to compete for hiding places and food.

Black ray gobies are primarily carnivorous fish. They can be fed vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and frozen meat-based foods prepared for marine fish. They can also be fed small amounts of finely chopped shellfish from your grocery store. They are known to eat algae on occasion. This may be to meet a nutritional requirement that is not found in their main diet.

Between their beautiful coloration, benign temperament, and their symbiotic relationship with shrimp, these small reef fish are in high demand among saltwater aquarists. Mated pairs are a rare find.

Black rays are monogamous by nature. It is best to keep a couple. A single goby will not feel at home in her tank.