Watchman Goby

[Twoddler]

Hi all hope yr all keeping safe, I have a Watchman Goby and just noticed its stomach appears to be swollen or maybe not, not sure, I just have nt noticed it before. He appears to be acting normally with his buddy the pistol shrimp, could you please take a look at the photo and give me your opinion, maybe you have a watchman you could compare with, thxs

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It looks pretty uniform, not lumpy, no discoloration, if the fish is eating normally, I would say “he” is a “she” and is full of eggs. These will likely just be released into the tank at some point, but in rare cases, egg binding can occur and lead to issues.
Jay

 

[Twoddler]

Thanks for yr reply Jay, really appreciated, and to learn he is a she lol, now for the dumb question she is the only goby in the tank how can she have eggs? And yes she is eating well

 

[Maritimer]

Fertilization in gobies is external - she develops eggs whether there's a male around or not, and if there is, he will fertilize them as she lays them or shortly afterward.

~B.