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Spinycheek gudgeon (Eleotris acanthopoma) — Eleotridae

Spinycheek gudgeon

Eleotris acanthopoma
Family: Eleotridae

The Spinycheek gudgeon (Eleotris acanthopoma) is a fish of the family Eleotridae that grows up to 14 cm.

Length
14 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The spinycheek gudgeon is a sleeper goby (Eleotridae) from coastal, brackish and fresh water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 14 cm and has an elongate, dark-brown body with a broad, flattened head and a backward-pointing spine on the gill cover. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it hides by day among roots and stones of river mouths and hunts small fish, shrimp and insect larvae at night. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Spinycheek gudgeon?

The Spinycheek gudgeon is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Spinycheek gudgeon live?

The Spinycheek gudgeon is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Spinycheek gudgeon get?

The Spinycheek gudgeon grows to a maximum of about 14 cm. On average the species is around 8 cm.

Is the Spinycheek gudgeon dangerous to humans?

No, the Spinycheek gudgeon is harmless to humans.

Is the Spinycheek gudgeon edible?

The Spinycheek gudgeon is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Doornkop-slaapgrondel sourced
English name
Spinycheek gudgeon sourced
Scientific name
Eleotris acanthopoma
Family
Eleotridae

Appearance

Max length (cm)
14.0 verified
Average length (cm)
8.4 sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thick / fleshy sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

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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