Oxyeleotris marmorata – the marble goby
Oxyeleotris marmorata, the marble boby, is one of the largest known goby species. The species occurs in the wild in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Sumatra, and Cambodia.
- Family: Oxudercidae
- Subfamily: Oxudercinae
- Genus: Oxuderces
- Species: Oxyeleotris marmorata
- English name: marble goby, marbled goby, marble sleeper
- Vietnamese name: cá bống tượng
In southern Vietnam, the marble boby lives in the system of Mekong River, in Đồng Nai River and Vàm Cỏ River. The Mekong Delta region is hot and rainy all year round, so it is suitable for this goby species to grow and develop well. The goby is also farmed in several central and southern provinces including Quảng Nam, Bạc Liêu, Vĩnh Long, Quảng Ngãi…
In Vietnamese, O. marmorata is known as cá bống tượng, litterally means “elephant goby fish” due to its big size compared to some other local species.
Culinary uses
The marble goby can be cooked in many ways: steamed with soy sauce and shiitake, braised with pineapple, or with black/green pepper, or cooked in goby soup and congee.
