Congrats and a goby question

[M.Dandaneau]

First off, let me say that is a BEAUTIFUL article on the sleeper gobies and I enjoyed every word of it.
My question is perhaps a little strange, but you seem like at least a starting point to ask.
We live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and collect many of our own specimens for observation and enjoyment, with many species of goby commonly found that seem to defy identification.
In keeping one species, I ran across something I've never observed in gobies before, that of sexual dimorphism during spawning activity only.
Normally the fish are from 2"-4" and brown with darker large blotches, but we recently awoke to find that a larger fish that was guarding a large whelk shell (with a female inside) had turned a brilliant yellow with a jet black throat.
We've since observed this several times with different fish of the same species, and each time the assumed male dosses courting dress for several days before returning to his former drabness.
Is this more common than I realized?

[hcs3]

thanks for the compliments.

sexual dimorphism is not rare, but i wouln't say it is common, either. in most cases the differences are so slight that only the most obserant of fish watchers would notice it. the change you describe is rather dramatic, and i'm not famialir with many fish that have such a dramatic change.

i would be very interested in seeing photos of this change and seeing photos of the fish when it is not displaying sexual dimorphism.

HTH

henry

[M.Dandaneau]

I currently don't have any in my tanks, but they are extremely common in one of my favorite nearby collecting spots, so I'll catch a few and send photos asap.
I can't offhand think of another marine species with breeding colors this dramatic, very reminiscent of some of the freshwater cichlids.
Thank you, by the way, for you reply...it's greatly appreciated.