Description
Males can reach a length of 24.5 cm (9.6 in) SL while females only reach 16.5 cm (6.5 in). The body has white streaks with speckles and a dark olive color.
Ecology
The species is found in slow-moving waters during their annual spawning run to the stream mouth. 'O'opu nakea can swim upstream between 10 and 200 feet in strong currents. They are omnivores, and their diet in one study was found to consist of 84% filamentous algae and 16% of chironomids (non-biting midges) and other animal food.
Eggs are laid downstream just above the estuary, where the males guard the nest. The males make the nest and attract the females who then lay one clutch per year.
Human use
'O'opu nakea are eaten cooked; a common way of preparation is by salting them for 12 hours, then wrapping them in ti leaves and placing them on hot coals.
Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Awaous guamensis (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
