Fat sleeper

Dormitator maculatus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth1–102 m
Water temperature22–29 °C
Best monthsOctober
How commonOccasional

Photo credit: (c) Alina Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The fat sleeper is a species of fish belonging to the family Eleotridae, known for their flat heads; they are generally found in fresh water, usually found in lakes, ponds and rivers.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Dormitator maculatus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 52 records
February: 66 records
March: 75 records
April: 86 records
May: 76 records
June: 81 records
July: 77 records
August: 119 records
September: 114 records
October: 713 records
November: 182 records
December: 99 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 1–102 m · Deepest record: 206 m

0–10 m: 12 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 4 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 5 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 2 records
110+ m: 2 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 22–29 °C

22–24 °C: 33 records
24–26 °C: 11 records
26–28 °C: 341 records
28–30 °C: 20 records

Photos

no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
(c) Bruno Frías Morales, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Tia Offner, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) geosesarma, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Bob Miller, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Fat sleeper, fat sleeper, Fat sleeper, God-a-me, Pacific sleeper

Names in 3 more languages

Spanish: Chame, Chococo del Atlántico, Dormilón manchado, Guabina, Guarasapa, guavina mapo, Mampeté, Mapiro, Masaguan, naca, Pipón, Pocoyo, Topén
French: Dormeur, Dormeur tacheté, Ti-neg, Ti-nèg, Dormeur
Simplified Chinese: 斑脂塘鱧

Other scientific names: Batanga pleurops, Dormitator lineatus, Dormitator macrophthalmus, Dormitator microphthalmus, Dormitator pleurops, Eleotris grandisquama, Eleotris gundlachi, Eleotris mugiloides, Eleotris omocyaneus, Eleotris pleurops, Eleotris sima, Eleotris somnulentus, Sciaena maculata

Similar species

Dusky sleeper
Eleotris fusca
Asian sleeper
Eleotris acanthopomus
Black Gudgeon
Eleotris melanosoma
Snakehead gudgeon
Giuris margaritaceus
Green-backed Guavina
Bunaka gyrinoides
Eleotris oxycephala

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
2,845 open-data records from 1895 to 2022.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist