How related are they?
Same subfamily, Gobiinae (True gobies): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Aurora Goby belongs to Amblyeleotris (Shrimp gobies), the Yellow Watchman Goby to Cryptocentrus (Watchman gobies).
Find the Aurora Goby on the tree · Find the Yellow Watchman Goby on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Aurora Goby | Yellow Watchman Goby |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Gobiiformes Gobies and kin | |
| Suborder | Gobioidei gobies and sleepers | |
| Family | Gobiidae Gobies | |
| Subfamily | Gobiinae True gobies | |
| Genus split | Amblyeleotris Shrimp gobies | Cryptocentrus Watchman gobies |
| Species | Amblyeleotris aurora Aurora Goby | Cryptocentrus cinctus Yellow Watchman Goby |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Aurora Goby | Yellow Watchman Goby |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Goby | Fish · Goby |
| Care level | Moderate | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, Frozen bloodworms, Enriched brine shrimp | Frozen mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp (vitamin-enriched), Frozen Calanus copepods |
| Max size | 4.3 in (11 cm) | 4 in (10 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 10 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–80 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.026 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–10 ppm | 0–20 ppm |
| Lifespan | Not documented; no published lifespan for aquarium or wild fish was found. | No scientific data. Hobby sources report up to about 10 years in aquariums with good care. |
| Breeding | Not achieved | Hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |