Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, it can be found in marine, fresh, and brackish waters around the coast.

[4] Like other species that rely on suction to capture prey, Eleotris sandwicensis has enhanced cranial muscles and level mechanism that controls its highly kinetic feeding apparatus.

[clarification needed][4] The distribution of E. sandwicensis is limited as this species does not have the ability to travel upstream of steep waterfalls[5] due to their lack of pelvic fins.

[4] Within the streams Eleotris sandwicensis is most commonly found in pools, runs, and fast riffles.

[6] Other dangers that Eleotris sandwicensis can encounter include the degradation of the estuarine regions and invasive species.

[8] The degradation of estuarine regions will not affect the species itself but its ability to reproduce, through the degradation of the habitat the flow of water may not function how it previously did causing delays or prevention of larvae ability to travel into the ocean and come back to the streams after their five month period at sea.