🐠 Banded Sleeper Goby (Amblygobius phalaena)
A Greenish-Brown Body Marked With Five Dark Bands • A Distinctive Eyespot on the Tail Fin • A Valuable Natural Sand Cleaner
 
📋 The Banded Sleeper Goby, also known as the White-Barred Goby, Bullet Goby, or Banded Dragon Goby, has an understated but appealing greenish-brown body marked with five dark vertical bands, a pale-edged stripe through the eye, and a distinctive eyespot on the upper tail fin.
It comes from a wide range across the Western Pacific and Central Indo-Pacific, inhabiting sandy lagoons and bays with coral rubble at depths of 2 to 20 metres, where it constructs burrows in the sand, often beneath rocks or coral, for shelter. Every Banded Sleeper Goby we ship is feeding well.
A fascinating natural behaviour: this species feeds by taking mouthfuls of sand and filtering them through its gills, retaining algae, small invertebrates, and organic matter while expelling the clean sand, constant sand-sifting that helps keep the substrate oxygenated and free of detritus. This is an omnivore, not a strict carnivore, and its diet in the wild consists mainly of filamentous algae, small crustaceans, and copepods. It's fully reef safe and a valuable "cleaner" for a sand bed, though in smaller tanks with limited natural microfauna, it needs supplemental feeding to avoid gradually losing condition. It's also a capable jumper, so a secure lid matters. It reaches up to 15cm, so a 140L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Greenish-Brown Body With Dark Bands: An understated, appealing pattern
🏖️ A Natural Sand Sifter: Filters sand through its gills, helping keep substrate healthy
🥗 An Omnivore: Feeds on algae, small crustaceans, and copepods, not strictly meat
🌿 Fully Reef Safe: Won't harm corals or invertebrates
⚠️ A Jumping Risk: A secure, tight-fitting lid is important