Dusky sleeper
Eleotris fusca
- Usual depth0–1 m
- Water temperature19–30 °C
- Best monthsApril and October
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Wie146, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
The dusky sleeper or brown spinecheek gudgeon is a species of fish in the family Eleotridae found in many Indo-West Pacific regions, from the coast of eastern Africa to Hawaii, where it can be found in lagoons, estuaries, and freshwater streams with muddy bottoms.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Eleotris fusca”, 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: 15 records
- February: 23 records
- March: 49 records
- April: 99 records
- May: 27 records
- June: 30 records
- July: 29 records
- August: 49 records
- September: 42 records
- October: 63 records
- November: 38 records
- December: 23 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–1 m · Deepest record: 4 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 19–30 °C
Photos
(c) Wie146, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Wie146, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Yung-Lun Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Rohit, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Geoff Shuetrim, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Dusky sleeper, brown gudgeon, brown sleeper, Brown sleeper, Dusky sleeper, Brown Spinecheek Gudgeon, dusky sleeper
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Cabot noir, Eléotris brun
- Japanese
- Tenjikukawaanago, テンジクカワアナゴ
- Simplified Chinese
- 褐塘鱧
Other scientific names: Culius fuscus, Culius niger, Eleotris cavifrons, Eleotris fornasini, Eleotris fornasinii, Eleotris fuscus, Eleotris klunzingerii, Eleotris niger, Eleotris nigra, Poecilia fusca
Similar species
- Black Gudgeon
Eleotris melanosoma
- Snakehead gudgeon
Giuris margaritaceus
Green-backed GuavinaBunaka gyrinoides
- Doublespot Coralgudgeon
Calumia godeffroyi
- Deepreef Coralgudgeon
Calumia profunda
- Golden Carp-gudgeon
Hypseleotris cyprinoides
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).
- 2,066 open-data records from 1922 to 2024.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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