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Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) — Gobiidae

Ocellated goby

Awaous ocellaris
Family: Gobiidae
LC · Least Concern

The Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 16 cm.

Length
15.5 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0.0–5.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The ocellated goby is a goby from coastal, estuarine and fresh water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 16 cm and has an elongate, sand-coloured body with fine spots and sometimes an eyespot on the dorsal fin. As a bottom-dweller it lives on sand and gravel bottoms of river mouths and coastal water, takes mouthfuls of sand and sifts out small invertebrates. The fish is harmless to humans and is a local bait fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Ocellated goby?

The Ocellated goby has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern. Sand-coloured camouflage; sifts sand for invertebrates in estuaries

Where does the Ocellated goby live?

The Ocellated goby lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Ocellated goby get?

The Ocellated goby grows to a maximum of about 16 cm.

Is the Ocellated goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Ocellated goby is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Ocellated goby edible?

The Ocellated goby is rarely eaten.

More photos

Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) — Gobiidae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — AravindManoj (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) — Gobiidae — 3
Williams, Jeffrey T. (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — USNM
Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) — Gobiidae — 4
Whispers of Aqua (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Ocellated goby (Awaous ocellaris) — Gobiidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Tse Chung Yi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Ocellated goby verified
Scientific name
Awaous ocellaris
Family
Gobiidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
15.5 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
No 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 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small invertebrates from the sand inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Sand-sifting goby of estuaries; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Sand-coloured camouflage; sifts sand for invertebrates in estuaries 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
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Awaous

More from the family Gobiidae

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