When it comes to the eyesight of fish, they may not all be created equally, but there are many species that have excellent vision. One such group consists of the shrimp gobies. These tiny little bottom-dwellers often form symbiotic relationships with the nearly blind pistol shrimp, which often construct tunnels that the two share. But the gobies aren’t freeloaders that live rent free in a cave that isn’t theirs. Instead, they provide the much needed eyesight for the shrimp. When danger is near, the fish merely backs into the cave, which also signals the shrimp to follow suit.
In the aquarium, this good eyesight presents a slight problem. These fish are generally pretty shy, and they will see you approaching the aquarium from a mile away and will dart into their cave, remaining there until they no longer feel threatened. This means that you may rarely see your shrimp goby, unless you don’t mind standing in front of the tank for a while.
