How related are they?
Same subfamily, Gobiinae (True gobies): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Yellow Watchman Goby belongs to Cryptocentrus (Watchman gobies), the Aurora Goby to Amblyeleotris (Shrimp gobies).
Find the Yellow Watchman Goby on the tree · Find the Aurora 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 | Yellow Watchman Goby | Aurora 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 | Cryptocentrus Watchman gobies | Amblyeleotris Shrimp gobies |
| Species | Cryptocentrus cinctus Yellow Watchman Goby | Amblyeleotris aurora Aurora Goby |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Yellow Watchman Goby | Aurora Goby |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Goby | Fish · Goby |
| Care level | Easy | Moderate |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Frozen mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp (vitamin-enriched), Frozen Calanus copepods | Mysis shrimp, Frozen bloodworms, Enriched brine shrimp |
| Max size | 4 in (10 cm) | 4.3 in (11 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 10 gal |
| Temperature | 72–80 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.026 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–20 ppm | 0–10 ppm |
| Lifespan | No scientific data. Hobby sources report up to about 10 years in aquariums with good care. | Not documented; no published lifespan for aquarium or wild fish was found. |
| Breeding | Hard | Not achieved |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |