The black-striped goby or Stonogobiops nematode belongs to the family Gobiidae. The black stingray is endemic to the western Indo-Pacific region. Inhabits sandy ocean floors and rocky outcrops off the coast of the Philippines and Indonesia at depths ranging from 15 to 30 meters.

This species of goby has a thin, elongated white body with black vertical markings. Its head is yellow and its ends are translucent. This is a smaller marine species. It only gets about two inches in length when fully grown.

The saltwater aquarium industry also markets this species under the following names; black stripe shrimp goby, black stripe shrimp goby and high fin shrimp goby. You’ll notice that each of these names contains a reference to a crustacean in them. This is due to its symbiotic relationship with Randall’s Shrimp and Pistol Shrimp (Candy Striped). These shrimp will share a burrow with a pair of gobies to protect each other. It is recommended to add two species rather than one to your reef tank.

A word of caution: Pistol shrimp do not share the benign nature of their roommates. Pistols will exhibit predatory behavior towards most other smaller species of shrimp.

These little ones are docile to the point of being shy. They are considered completely benign and pose no threat to the typical inhabitants of a marine reef aquarium. They are so shy that they will instinctively seek shelter when first introduced to their new environment. It may take weeks for them to work up the courage to leave their sanctuary and start exploring their new surroundings. They show their aggression by opening their mouths very wide and yawning at their would-be assailant. If that doesn’t scare the bee-geebies away, they’ll turn and run. The only thing that starts an aggressive streak in these little ones is trying to keep the males together in a smaller tank. Black rays are the perfect tank mates for more fragile species like seahorses and pipefish.

These gobies are bottom dwellers. They have a tendency to burrow into the sandy substrate to hide when scared. Therefore, you will want to use sand as a substrate. They should also be provided with other hiding places on the aquarium floor. Avoid crowding your reef tank with bottom dwellers. You don’t want them to have to compete for hiding places and food.

Black ray gobies are primarily carnivorous fish. They can be fed vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and frozen meat-based foods prepared for marine fish. They can also be fed small amounts of finely chopped shellfish from your grocery store. They have been known to eat algae on occasion. This may be to meet a nutritional requirement not found in your main diet.

Between their beautiful coloration, benign temperament, and their symbiotic relationship with shrimp, these little reef fish are in high demand among saltwater aquarists. Mated pairs are a rare find.

Black rays are monogamous by nature. It is best to keep a couple. A single goby will not feel at home in her aquarium.