Order : Perciformes
Family : ELEOTRIDAE
Species : Ophiocara porocephala
Maximum Length : 34 cm

The Snakehead Gudgeon, or Northern Mud Gudgeon, is a sleeper goby of the family Eleotridae. It inhabits river mouths and estuaries, coastal creeks in mangrove habitats, as well as man-made prawn ponds. By day these gobies tend to remain hidden, but by night they may emerge into more open water, where they may be seen resting on the substrate.

They are identified by the pale markings across the back, which are more evident in young specimens, and by the arrangements of pale spots on the flanks. The head is relatively large, and the eyes smallish.

Sleeper gobies differ from other gobies in that the pelvic fins are separate, with no connecting membrane.

The Snakehead Gudgeon is carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates or small vertebrates,

The species ranges from East Africa through the Indian Ocean and the seas of Southeast Asia to the Western Pacific Ocean.   
 

Fig 1 : Snakehead Gudgeon in a shallow, brackish, coastal creek at Pulau Sugi, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia.

Fig 2 : Specimen in a mangrove creek at Bako National Park, Sarawak, Borneo.

Fig 3 : Mangrove habitat at Bako National Park, Sarawak, Borneo.


References : F2