Catalina Goby
Lythrypnus dalli
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity |
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Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Expert |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Ornamental Only |
| Diet Type | Carnivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 10 gallons |
| Max Size | 2 inches |
| Temperature | 70–74°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Catalina Goby (Lythrypnus dalli) is a small, cool-water goby with a red-orange body, electric blue facial markings, and bold blue bands across the front half of the body. Often kept in sub-tropical/temperate marine setups, it spends much of its time posted on rock ledges and near crevices, where its color pattern stays on display.
What You’ll Observe:
- Picking a favorite “lookout” spot on the rockwork and returning to it repeatedly
- Short, fast dashes between perches, followed by long pauses watching the tank
- Most activity during the day, with quick retreats into a nearby crack in the rock
- Snatching small foods from the water column in quick, precise strikes
Provide plenty of live rock with tight gaps, small caves, and multiple perching ledges, ideally with moderate-to-strong flow moving across the structure. Offer small meaty foods in small portions (frozen options work well), and feed in a way that lets food drift past its favorite perch. If you keep more than one, build several “stations” so each fish can settle into its own spot.
Do Catalina Gobies stay out in the open, or do they hide most of the time?
Most keepers report they spend a lot of time perched in view on rockwork, then duck into a crevice quickly when startled.
What does Catalina Goby feeding look like in an aquarium?
They often wait near a preferred perch and lunge at passing food, and many become especially visible during feeding windows.
Do Catalina Gobies accept prepared foods long-term?
Hobbyists commonly report success with small frozen foods, and some individuals learn to take small pellets once they associate a spot with feeding.
Can you keep Catalina Gobies together without constant fighting?
Keepers often suggest that small groups can work when the aquascape provides multiple separated perches and “micro-territories,” so each fish can settle into a station.
What aquascape makes them easiest to observe?
A low, ledge-heavy rock structure with several small caves (including a few near the front glass) tends to keep their perching behavior visible.
Shipped with pure oxygen and temperature control so it arrives stress-free and ready to eat.
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