Species: Gobiomorus maculatus, Bigscale sleeper, Pacific sleeper
eye oval
Gobiomorus maculatus (Günther, 1859)
Pacific sleeper, Bigscale sleeper
Body elongate, cylindrical, narrowing to rear; head elongate, conical in profile, depressed above; eye a longitudinal oval; mouth large, lower jaw projecting; teeth small conical, in several rows on jaws; teeth on front of roof of mouth; gill openings extend forward nearly to the level of the angles of the mouth, separated from each other by a very narrow isthmus; gill membranes with 6 rays; dorsal fins VI weak spines + I, 9, fins well separated, base of 2nd dorsal < distance from the end of that base to tail fin; anal fin I, 9-10; pectoral 15-16, fin rounded;pelvic fins I, 5, long, completely and widely separated; scales rough on body, smooth on head, medium sized, 51-57 in lateral series, on body, forehead, cheeks and operculum; no lateral line.
Adult with head and body dark mottled brown; paler below; both dorsal and tail fins clear with rows of small dark spots on membranes; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins clear, pectoral with a dark band at its base. Juvenile with a dark stripe along the midside and 3 bars radiating from the eye (to middle and to rear of mouth, and to the upper corner of the operculum).
Reaches 35cm.
Habitat: usually found in freshwater, but enter brackish tidal areas.
Depth: 0-5 m.
The tip of Baja California and the mouth of the Gulf of California to northern Peru, as well as the Galapagos and Cocos.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Non Marine
- Freshwater
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Estuary
- Freshwater
- Mangrove
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- No Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- Continent
- All species
- Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 35
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 5
