Yasha Hase Goby

Stonogobiops yasha, commonly called the Yasha Hase Goby or Yasha White-Ray Shrimp Goby, is one of the most desirable and visually stunning shrimp gobies in the reef aquarium trade. Described from Japan and known from the western Pacific, it inhabits rubble and sand patches in coral reef environments at moderate depth. The body is brilliant white with bold orange-red diagonal banding and an extraordinary elongated first dorsal ray that streams well above the body — a feature used in fin-flaring displays. Like other Stonogobiops and related genera, it forms symbiotic partnerships with Alpheus snapping shrimp. In the aquarium it is peaceful, active, and one of the most visually arresting small gobies available. It requires stable marine water parameters, a deep fine-sand or rubble substrate, and ideally a compatible pistol shrimp to express its natural behaviour.

Water: 23–27 °C, pH 8.0–8.4, GH 18–30, KH 8–12; full marine (SG 1.020–1.025); stable and pristine conditions. Tank: 80 L minimum; deep fine sand and rubble substrate; provide Alpheus shrimp for natural symbiosis; low to moderate flow. Feeding: Carnivore; frozen mysis and brine shrimp, copepods, and small pellets; target-feed to ensure adequate intake. Breeding: Burrow spawner; rarely bred in captivity; bonded pairs may spawn in established reef tanks. Compatibility: Peaceful; reef-safe; compatible with other small peaceful reef fish; avoid aggressive tankmates.