Mogurnda adspersa

Alternative names

 * Purple-Spotted Gudgeon,

Sexing

 * Males have 3-4 brown-to-purple facial stripes extending from behind the eye to the back of the operculum. Females generally have two stripes, which are less prominent. There are numerous red spots on the dorsal, anal and caudal fins.

Breeding

 * Males mature at and females at . The male has an elaborate courtship display and pairing and spawning occurs in summer when water temperature exceeds . Females can spawn several times during a spawning season. The eggs are adhesive and 280-1300 are deposited in a single batch on a rock, log or aquatic plants. The eggs are elongate, pointed at both ends, transparent and  wide and  long. The male stays to guard and fan the eggs, which hatch after 3-9 days depending on water temperature. Newly hatched larvae are approximately  long.

Tank compatibility

 * The Purple-Spotted Gudgeon is an ambush predator so should not be kept with smaller fish or small inverts.

Diet

 * The Purple-Spotted Gudgeon is a slow-moving ambush predator, consuming small fish and aquatic macro-invertebrates, worms, and tadpoles. In the aquarium it should accept most meaty foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp.

Feeding regime

 * Feed once or twice a day.

Environment Specifics

 * Unknown.

Behaviour

 * Unknown.

Identification

 * An attractive, small, robust fish with a rounded head, small mouth, and gape that extends to the anterior margin of the eye. Maximum size ; commonly . The tail is rounded, and there are two dorsal fins, the first short-based and lower than the longer and taller second dorsal. The back is dark brownish to yellowish brown (but can be iridescent blue in general with a series of blue blotches towards the tail), fading to lighter brown or cream on the belly. A row of darkish blotches are present on the sides from the start of the second dorsal fin to the start of the caudal fin, surrounded by numerous red and white spots.