Valenciennea sexguttata
Pale, six-spotted goby that hovers over sand near Koh Lipe and the Maldives' Central Atolls, usually solo in 27 to 29 C water.
Small pale grey to white body around 9 cm long, with a row of six dark spots running along the back that give it the name. It perches propped on its pelvic fins just above sand or rubble patches rather than swimming freely, and darts into a burrow when approached too fast. The head is slightly blunt with a steep profile compared to slimmer prawn-gobies.
Look for it hovering just above sand or rubble patches on the reef flat or slope, tail flicking as it picks at the substrate for food. It stays close to a burrow it shares with a partner and slips inside at the first sign of a diver getting too close, so a slow approach and some patience pays off. Most sightings are during the day on open sandy stretches rather than tucked into coral.
Sixspot gobies pair up and share a burrow they dig together in sand, taking turns to guard the entrance while the other feeds nearby.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in sightings, and it sits comfortably in 27 to 29 C water year-round, so any month on a tropical reef trip should work. Treat it as a consistent, if uncommon, find rather than a seasonal target.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most reliably logged in Thailand, particularly around Koh Lipe and Koh Chang, and in the Maldives' Central Atolls. Also a solid find in the Philippines (Visayas and Mindanao), Oman's Muscat coastline, and sand flats in Indonesia's Bali, Egypt's Marsa Alam, Fiji, and Timor-Leste.
Mapping where Sixspot Goby is logged…
Thailand is the strongest bet, especially Koh Lipe and Koh Chang, followed by the Maldives' Central Atolls. It also turns up in the Philippines, Oman, Indonesia, Egypt, Fiji, and Timor-Leste.
There's no strong seasonal pattern in sightings, and it lives in warm 27 to 29 C water year-round, so it's a fair find on any tropical reef trip regardless of month.
Look for a small pale grey fish, about 9 cm, propped on its fins over sand with six dark spots running along its back. It hovers near a burrow entrance rather than swimming out over the reef.
They stay small, typically around 9 cm long, making them an easy fish to overlook on a sandy patch unless you're looking closely.
They pair up with a partner and dig a shared burrow in the sand, taking turns guarding the entrance while the other one feeds nearby.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Slender Goby
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