All fish / Eleotridae

Spotted Sleeper

Eleotris picta

Also known as water cow, spotted sleeper goby, pacific fat sleeper, painted sleeper, giant sleeper, spotted sleeper gudgeon

A heavy-bodied, large-mouthed sleeper with dark brown mottling and paler spotting, it spends most of its time lying still on the bottom before lunging at prey. It is kept by people who like large, characterful predators and will grow tame enough to take food from tongs.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8.2

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly, or with robust tankmates too large to swallow

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen fish, shrimp, earthworms, mussel and large carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Brackish

Wild range

Eastern Pacific coastal rivers and estuaries from Mexico (Baja California) to Peru

Breeding

It spawns in fresh or lightly brackish rivers and the tiny larvae drift to the sea to develop, so captive breeding is essentially unknown.

Good to know

Grows to around 30 cm or more and will eat any fish or shrimp that fits in its mouth, so tankmates must be chosen carefully. Juveniles cope with fresh water but adults do best in low to moderate brackish conditions; use a tight lid as it can jump.