General Description

Body slender with two short-based dorsal fins, a broad flattened head and widely-spaced eyes. Males have a large mouth extending to below the middle of the eye or beyond, while in females, the mouth reaches to below the front of the eye. Colour variable from grey, brown, olive to yellowish green, becoming paler below, usually with indistinct darker blotches below dorsal fins, and 4-5 narrow dark lines on belly. The smaller Dwarf Flathead Gudgeon, Philypnodon macrostomus, has orange to whitish dorsal fins with distinct black horizontal bands, and orange spots on the tail. To 12 cm.

Biology

Although this species is usually found in coastal freshwater streams, individuals sometimes occur in the brackish areas of the lower reaches of streams, lakes and lagoons. They often rest motionless on the bottom, blending in with the detritus and leaf litter.

Distribution

Southern Australia.

Habitat

A mostly freshwater species, usually found in slow-flowing areas of lowland streams and lakes, preferring weedy and muddy areas around rocks and logs. Also in the upper reaches of estuaries.

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