Cociella heemstrai is a species of demersal, marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads.

Cociella heemstrai was first formally described in 1996 by Leslie William Knapp with the type locality given as Kenya.

[2] These fishes were previously regarded as a population of the crocodile flathead (C. crocodilus) but were recognised as a valid species in 1996.

There is a vivid yellow bar in the centre of the caudal fin, dark bands over the back and 4 or 5 paired white spots on the upper body.

[1] Cociella heemstrai is commonly caught in trawls and when using seine nets in shallow estuaries.