The Sooty Grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus), also known by the name Black Bream, is a species of fish which inhabits coastal and inland freshwater creeks and rivers of northern Australia: from the upper Burdekin River in Queensland to the Daly River in the Northern Territory (records from New Guinea are a similar, but undescribed species). Sooty Grunters inhabit large flowing freshwater streams, preferring rapidly flowing waters with a rocky bottom and sparse aquatic plant cover. The species can tolerate acidic conditions to a pH of 4.0 and temperatures between 12 and 34ºC.