Orangespotted gobies

Over the last week, we have made several dives looking at the relationship between orangespotted gobies and the snapping shrimp that they share their burrows with.

The gobies have been no longer than 2 inches, and some of the shrimp are almost as long.  The trouble is that they are both pretty close to the same color as the sand in which they live.

At one site, we found this commensal relationship at about 60 feet deep, and at a nearby site we found them at 14 feet.  Spotting the gobies out guarding the burrows is not always easy.  Other days, they seem easy to find.