Goby and Blind Shrimp

Getting sick of cleaning your room? Then invite a blind shrimp to stay! It will work day and night to keep your mess in order. All it asks in return is safety from the outside world, and a free meal. If you are a Goby.

There are many goby fish species that coexist with shrimp, in one of nature’s most fascinating symbiotic relationships. The shrimp is blind, and builds a burrow for the goby. The goby uses the burrow to hide from predators, and acts as the ‘eyes’ for the shrimp, flicking its tail to warn the shrimp of danger. During the day, the goby spends most of its time at the burrow entrance, interacting with fellow gobies and maintaining a constant vigil for predators. Meanwhile the tireless shrimp excavates and does the household chores, staying in constant contact with the goby via its long antennae. The goby eats micro-fauna and small fish, while the shrimp feeds on tiny crustaceans and worms it unearths during its bulldozing work, so the two species do not compete for food. During the night the goby and shrimp rest together in the burrow.