Watchman goby changed color?!

LobsterOfJustice · 08/22/2006, 04:57 PM

Hello,

For the past 6 months or so I have had a white watchman goby. I left for vacation, and came back two weeks later and he's now a regular yellow watchman! My father watched the tank for the first week I was gone, and I suspected the goby may have died and he tried to replace it, but he said he did not. During the second week I had two other people come by to check on the tank, but they aren't "fish people" and I doubt they would swap out the fish.

First of all, has anyone else heard of a white watchman? I had never seen or heard of any other than the one I had (have?).

Here are pictures of what he used to look like:

Does anyone think he could have changed color? Now he is just as yellow as any other YWG.

davocean · 08/22/2006, 05:31 PM

I'm thinkin' you got punked man!
I can't imagine that thing turning color 6 months later while you were on vacation.

jonathanws · 08/22/2006, 05:45 PM

well i remember a few weeks back i saw a white goby just like that one and when i asked how much it was he referred to it as a yellow watchman. it didnt really strike me until now

HaKs310 · 08/22/2006, 05:47 PM

Actually, it is not uncommon. I aslo had a YWG that went from a yellow to a dark grey in a couple of weeks.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/ft/index.php
Second to last paragraph.

davocean · 08/22/2006, 05:56 PM

Well, guess I learned something new today!
Hope the dude isn't on the phone yellin' at his dad right now!

Paintbug · 08/22/2006, 06:41 PM

most gobies can change colors, some for camo, some times just from stress, and some it seems for no reason

. my pinkspotted shrimp goby will get dark and lighter as he moves around in the tank. if hes on the LR, and you look down from the top of the tank you can barely see him sometimes.

nice article HaKs310!!!

drnkjunglist · 08/22/2006, 06:47 PM

wow i wish mine would do thaat! lol

Balinor · 08/22/2006, 08:12 PM

That's good to know! I had a Yellow Watchman Goby that turned white. i thought he was sick or something. Glad to know that it's normal.

LobsterOfJustice · 08/22/2006, 09:57 PM

Wow, thanks for the article. I guess the mystery is solved.

I wish mine would go back to being white though, the whole reason I got him was because he was different... now I just have the same fish as everyone else

kurt72 · 09/04/2006, 03:30 PM

a late reply, but i posted a question just like yours. here is a pic of mine. i have had him now, for 5-6 months. guess he will change color like the rest.

RichConley · 09/04/2006, 04:29 PM

I've never seen them go grey to yellow. I've seen them go yellow to grey though.

dc · 09/04/2006, 05:14 PM

I've seen a lot of posts of them changing. All from yellow to white, your's is the first to go to yellow. Mine are both still yellow, my friends both changed to white. Interesting.

LobsterOfJustice · 09/04/2006, 05:25 PM

Do you guys think if I find another white one I could buy it and it would pair up with my current one? Or should I just let him be?

LobsterOfJustice · 09/08/2006, 03:47 PM

I got a picture of the "after" today.

He went from this:

To this:

I'm just amazed that with a YWG being such a common fish I had never heard of this before.

grizwalt333 · 01/31/2011, 11:36 PM

Well thats weird because mine looks exactly like yours the only thing is it went from yellow to white, the exact same dark banding down the back. I hope he comes back.

dublo8 · 02/01/2011, 12:42 AM

Ha mine started out yellow and has gained thick dark vertical strips. Weird. Not joking. They aren't black stripes but kind of a gray color.

08/22/2006, 04:57 PM	#1
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Watchman goby changed color?! Hello, For the past 6 months or so I have had a white watchman goby. I left for vacation, and came back two weeks later and he's now a regular yellow watchman! My father watched the tank for the first week I was gone, and I suspected the goby may have died and he tried to replace it, but he said he did not. During the second week I had two other people come by to check on the tank, but they aren't "fish people" and I doubt they would swap out the fish. First of all, has anyone else heard of a white watchman? I had never seen or heard of any other than the one I had (have?). Here are pictures of what he used to look like: Does anyone think he could have changed color? Now he is just as yellow as any other YWG. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

08/22/2006, 05:31 PM	#2
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I'm thinkin' you got punked man! I can't imagine that thing turning color 6 months later while you were on vacation. __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

08/22/2006, 05:47 PM	#4
HaKs310 Forever Learning Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Whittier, CA Posts: 1,241	Actually, it is not uncommon. I aslo had a YWG that went from a yellow to a dark grey in a couple of weeks. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/ft/index.php Second to last paragraph. __________________ IM Fusion Pro 20 Peninsula \| Nanobox Duo Plus M \| AquaIllumination Nero 3 \| XP Aqua Duetto Dual-Sensor ATO \| Eheim Jager 75w Heater

08/22/2006, 05:56 PM	#5
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	Well, guess I learned something new today! Hope the dude isn't on the phone yellin' at his dad right now! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

08/22/2006, 06:41 PM	#6
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	most gobies can change colors, some for camo, some times just from stress, and some it seems for no reason . my pinkspotted shrimp goby will get dark and lighter as he moves around in the tank. if hes on the LR, and you look down from the top of the tank you can barely see him sometimes. nice article HaKs310!!! __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

08/22/2006, 05:45 PM	#3
jonathanws Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 492	well i remember a few weeks back i saw a white goby just like that one and when i asked how much it was he referred to it as a yellow watchman. it didnt really strike me until now

08/22/2006, 06:47 PM	#7
drnkjunglist Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: long beach, ca Posts: 143	wow i wish mine would do thaat! lol

08/22/2006, 08:12 PM	#8
Balinor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: S. Florida Posts: 14	That's good to know! I had a Yellow Watchman Goby that turned white. i thought he was sick or something. Glad to know that it's normal. __________________ Donald Chamberlain Current Tank Info: 120G RR AGA

08/22/2006, 09:57 PM	#9
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Wow, thanks for the article. I guess the mystery is solved. I wish mine would go back to being white though, the whole reason I got him was because he was different... now I just have the same fish as everyone else __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/04/2006, 03:30 PM	#10
kurt72 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bumfuqd Egypt Posts: 181	a late reply, but i posted a question just like yours. here is a pic of mine. i have had him now, for 5-6 months. guess he will change color like the rest.

09/04/2006, 04:29 PM	#11
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	I've never seen them go grey to yellow. I've seen them go yellow to grey though. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

09/04/2006, 05:14 PM	#12
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	I've seen a lot of posts of them changing. All from yellow to white, your's is the first to go to yellow. Mine are both still yellow, my friends both changed to white. Interesting. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

09/04/2006, 05:25 PM	#13
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Do you guys think if I find another white one I could buy it and it would pair up with my current one? Or should I just let him be? __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/08/2006, 03:47 PM	#14
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I got a picture of the "after" today. He went from this: To this: I'm just amazed that with a YWG being such a common fish I had never heard of this before. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

01/31/2011, 11:36 PM	#15
grizwalt333 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 113	Well thats weird because mine looks exactly like yours the only thing is it went from yellow to white, the exact same dark banding down the back. I hope he comes back.

02/01/2011, 12:42 AM	#16
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	Ha mine started out yellow and has gained thick dark vertical strips. Weird. Not joking. They aren't black stripes but kind of a gray color. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.