that slow down to the point of stalling, as they inspect
and pick-off crustacean parasites. While other divers in
our group were working on getting superb Manta shots,
I was hanging out near where the boat was anchored
shooting gobies and dottybacks. This back reef area was
a gradual sand/rubble slope with scattered soft coral
gardens (mainly larger clusters of Xenia and Sinularia).
Between the alcyonarian patches, the sand was home
to numerous gobies. (This site was also home to a large
number of the undescribed Ammer’s Dottyback.)
One of the most abundant species at “Manta Sandy”
(and at many sites in the Raja Ampats) is the Yellow
Shrimpgoby (Cryptocentrus cinctus). Although common in various parts of the Western Pacific, this species
was even more ubiquitous in the Raja Ampats. It was typically found in shallow habitats (between 18 to 30 feet),
usually in areas of clean sand or mixed sand and rubble.
are aware that C. cinctus is a staple in the ornamental
fish industry and for good reason: it is an attractive species that is common in the wild and does great in the
home aquarium. The Yellow Shrimpgoby can be paired
with any of the goby-associated pistol shrimp, but A. bellulus is the most readily available alpheid in the trade.
The site was also home to a number of shrimpgobies
from the genus Amblyeleotris. This included the beautiful
Another famous dive site in the Raja
Ampats that was also great for shrimpgobies is “The Passage.” This is a one-kilo-meter channel that separates Gam from
Waigeo Island and is best described as a
saltwater river. The water flows between
eroded limestone cliffs at an incredible
clip, providing nutrients for rich sessile
invertebrate communities. The vertical
cliffs continue under the water’s surface,
providing a palette for a colorful array of
sponges, tunicates, sea fans,
Dendronephthya soft corals and orange cup corals
(Tubastrea sp.). At bends in the “river”
there are relatively protected sand bottoms that are home to shrimpgobies. For
fish photographers, the site can be a nightmare unless
you can find a place to hide from the swift current. Fortunately, many of the goby communities are found in
areas that are shielded from the strongest water flows.
The Passage is a great site for a number of
Amblyeleotris spp. This includes the relatively recently described
(named in 2002) Redmargined Shrimpgoby (
Amblyeleotris rubromarginata), which is easily recognized by the
dark blotch behind each eye and the red margin (
sometimes red spots) on both the upper edge of the dorsal fins
and the caudal fin. It occurs at a depth of 10 to 85 feet.
The Redmargined Shrimpgoby is relatively common on
light sand substrates, with scattered rubble and in the
Raja Ampats is usually found with a pistol shrimp that
has pinkish appendages, with a light thorax and tail that
are marked with lines and scribbles. This goby is often
sold in the aquarium trade as an “assorted” or Banded
A pair of colorful Tiger Pistol Shrimp, Alpheus bellulus, with a
young Barred Shrimpgoby, Cryptocentrus fasciatus, a species
with highly variable color forms.
I found several color forms in the Raja Ampats. The most
abundant “flavor” was the yellow color form, but there
were also quite a few brown-banded individuals and a
few that had a darker, uniform body. (In the aquarium
trade, we occasionally see a color form that is a uniform
light brown.) The Yellow Shrimpgobies were found singly or in pairs. In some cases, both members of the pair
were the same color, but in a few cases the pair consisted
of one brown and one yellow fish. In most case, the alpheid of choice was a species of shrimp that is similar to
Alpheus bellulus (it probably represents an undescribed
species)—in many cases two of these shrimp would be
sharing a hole with one or two C. cinctus. Most readers
