Why is my spotted watchman goby not yellow?

[Neptune 555]

I have a spotted watchman goby that was yellow when I purchased him. Now he is grey? Why? How can I get the yellow back?

I had thought he died b/c he went missing 2 years ago!! Then when I did a clean out of my sump I found him!! He was completely grey at that point - likely miserable? But I put him in the DT it’s been a month and he has become more confident and his spots are pretty but no yellow?

anything I can do to brighten him up? I love him the way he is and he sure is a trooper!

 

[His Coral Highness]

I believe males are yellow and females are white/grey.

 

[92Miata]

There are a lot of places that say that, but I've seen breeding pairs that are both greyish, and breeding pairs that are both yellow. And I've seen yellow fish turn grey, and grey fish turn yellow.

Who knows?

 

[His Coral Highness]

There are a lot of places that say that, but I've seen breeding pairs that are both greyish, and breeding pairs that are both yellow. And I've seen yellow fish turn grey, and grey fish turn yellow.

Who knows?

I could see that. But moral of the story is that your fish isn't sick, it's just a grey fish haha. Not the vibrant yellow maybe you wanted but I still think it's a pretty cool/unique pattern. And if it really were that stressed from being in the sump it would have died long ago, 2 years in the sump and it was doing just fine!

 

[Petcrazyson]

Apparently and this according to Ryan from Prestige Reef, there is a type of goby, that impersonates a yellow watchman while small, but once is an adult, turns into a brown or gray color. Many of the imposters are bought as a YW’s.

 

[bxclent]

That is completely amazing that you found it after 2 yrs of MIA !

 

[Cthulukelele]

Watchman gobies are funny. They are simultaneously the fish everyone is always worried died or they killed while also being seemingly some of the hardest to kill fish in the hobby. I swear if they got stuck in someone's plumbing eating nothing but detritus and not seeing light for 3 years I think they'd still make it out alive

 

[Petcrazyson]

Watchman gobies are funny. They are simultaneously the fish everyone is always worried died or they killed while also being seemingly some of the hardest to kill fish in the hobby. I swear if they got stuck in someone's plumbing eating nothing but detritus and not seeing light for 3 years I think they'd still make it out alive

They have lol

 

[Reef.]

Treat him to some good food he deserves it, spot feed him, could be a nutrient thing being in the sump for 2 years the poor thing.
If he started of yellow then it could come back but I think he looks cool anyway.