When kept in good condition, dragon gobies develop an attractive, iridescent, silvery-blue metallic color with a gold blotch pattern.

[3] Males tend to have long, pointed genital papilla, while that of the females are shorter, blunt, and yellow in color.

Information offered in pet stores is often misleading; this species has specialized requirements and will die in a standard aquarium.

A single individual needs a tank at least four feet long with a floor of sand or silt at least three inches thick (they spend much time buried in the substrate).

Dragon gobies tend to disappear from the market for long periods of time, but are easier to find in stores within their natural range.

[citation needed] Despite its fierce looks, large mouth, and many teeth, the violet goby is a predator scavenger.

[8] However, if two violet gobies exist in a tank too small, one will eventually claim the entire area their own territory and fiercely defend it.

Violet gobies are scavengers in the wild and need a varied diet for optimum health, but are limited by two factors, their small throat size and very poor vision.

Unless they are in a species specific tank, violet gobies cannot compete with other fish to find food, because of poor eyesight.