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Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) — Eleotridae

Black gudgeon

Eleotris melanosoma
Family: Eleotridae
LC · Least Concern
NativeIntroduced

The Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Eleotridae that grows up to 26 cm.

Length
26 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0.0–5.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific; brackish estuaries and rivers.
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The broadhead sleeper is a sleeper goby (Eleotridae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has an elongate, dark body with a broad, flattened head. Adults inhabit brackish estuaries and medium to large rivers and penetrate far into fresh water. By day it keeps hidden; as a slow ambush hunter it takes small fishes, shrimps and other invertebrates that come within reach. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Black gudgeon?

The Black gudgeon has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern. Broad, flattened head; slow ambush predator of brackish estuaries and rivers.

Where does the Black gudgeon live?

The Black gudgeon lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Indo-West Pacific; brackish estuaries and rivers.

How big does the Black gudgeon get?

The Black gudgeon grows to a maximum of about 26 cm.

Is the Black gudgeon dangerous to humans?

No, the Black gudgeon is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.

Is the Black gudgeon edible?

The Black gudgeon is rarely eaten.

More photos

Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) — Eleotridae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Dinh D. Tran, FiMSeA (CC BY 3.0)
Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) — Eleotridae — 3
Williams, Jeffrey T. (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — USNM
Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) — Eleotridae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Tse Chung Yi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Black gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) — Eleotridae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) H.T.Cheng, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
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All data

Identification

English name
Black gudgeon verified
Scientific name
Eleotris melanosoma
Family
Eleotridae
Other names
Black gudgeon; Black spine-cheek; Broadhead sleeper; Ebony gudgeon verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
26.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
5.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific; brackish estuaries and rivers. inferred
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small fishes, shrimps and other invertebrates sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred
Special features
Broad, flattened head; slow ambush predator of brackish estuaries and rivers. sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bottom fishing with natural bait (worm, shrimp or fish) on or just above the seabed. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
None required: this species is harmless to humans. sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Eleotris

More from the family Eleotridae

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