Author: Keith, Lord, Hadiaty & Hubert, 2017
Comments: Recorded from Indonesia in streams with moderate to fast flow in shallow areas of gravel and boulders at depth of 0.4-0.6 m, usually at low altitude (< 10 m), and sometimes with <i>Schismatogobius bruynisi</i> (Ref. 116448). On the other hand, specimens from Japan (as <i>Schismatogobius ninja</i>) were collected from the lower freshwater reaches of the streams, at 50 to 1,300 m from the upper limit of tidal fluctuations; on coarse sand and gravel bottoms of shallow areas (depth usually 5-30 cm) around rapids, a typical habitat was at the ends of the rapids (transitional areas from rapid to pool) with steady flow.  This species usually stay on the bottom and often bury half of their body in the substratum, preferring substrates with free gravel granules which can be moved easily by water flow, and do not inhabit silty substrates. Body markings perfectly camouflage them on the gravel bottom of their habitats; thus, are hard to detect if they remain motionless. Occurs with <i>S. ampluvinculus</i>, and sometimes with <i>Schismatogobius marmoratus</i>, but the most abundant syntopic species was <i>Rhinogobius nagoyae</i>; other gobies, such as <i>Stiphodon percnopterygionus, Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Glossogobius illimis</i> and <i>Luciogobius ryukyuensis</i> and amphidromous pipefish, <i>Microphis leiaspis</i>, were also frequently observed with this species (Ref. 125666).