Engineer Gobies: Shedd’s Masters of Spring Cleaning

Chicago (April 25, 2024) – Spring cleaning is almost a ritual or tradition at this point, and it can be a great way to reset and deep clean the home. Those searching for some extra inspiration or motivation might be surprised to find it from the aquatic animal world, but look no further than Shedd Aquarium’s expert redecorator: the engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia).

At Shedd Aquarium, guests can spot engineer gobies peeking out from their burrows in Wild Reef and might even notice them spitting out mouthfuls of gravel. As their name suggests, engineer gobies are excellent builders and work to construct extensive tunnels up to 20 feet in length. Using their mouths, these fish scoop up gravel or sand and spit it out at the tunnel entrance, which carves out burrows that will protect them and their young from predators.

As adults, these fish rarely leave their burrows, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as small shrimps. Their young, however, will venture out to forage for plankton. Juvenile engineer gobies resemble venomous striped coral catfish, allowing juveniles to swim through the water undisturbed by predators. Scientists suspect that the juveniles may swim into the adults’ mouths and feed them some regurgitated plankton from their foraging trips.

While guests might only see a small portion of their bodies peeking out, engineer gobies can grow up to 13 inches long. These animals are found in shallow lagoons and coastal reefs of the west central Pacific Ocean.

Come face-to-face with these hard-working animals and uncover more unique behaviors of aquatic life by visiting Shedd Aquarium.

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Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

Video Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Sam Cejtin