This shallow nearshore species has a restricted range in the oceanic islands of Réunion and Mauritius. The estimated area of occupancy (AOO) is 876 km². The habitats that this species occurs in are impacted by water pollution and coastal development but the number of locations is greater than 10. It is listed as Near Threatened B2b(iii) with a recommendation to research population status.

This species endemic to the oceanic islands of Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues where it is known from at least three sites at Mauritius and two at Réunion and one at Rodrigues (Gill 1998, Letourneur et al. 2004, Kovačić et al. 2019; 2021, GBIF online database accessed January 2024). The depth range is 0-10 m (Gill 1998, Larson 2022).

Based on a minimum convex polygon drawn around the extent of the islands of Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues, the estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is 60,799 km². Based on overlaying a 2x2 km grid on the shorelines of Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues, the estimated area of occupancy (AOO) is 876 km². The number of locations is greater than 10.

This species is known from at least nine museum specimens collected in 1995, 1998 and 2001 (Gill 1998, GBIF online database accessed January 2024). Most Hetereleotris species are rare in collections and often known from a few voucher specimens due to their preference for hiding in crevices (Kovačić et al. 2019). It is not known if the population is severely fragmented.

This species occurs on a range of substrates, including coral, rock, sand and silt, coral reefs at the entrances to lagoons, and in surge areas in tidepools (Gill 1998, Larson and Murdy 2010, Larson 2022, GBIF online database accessed January 2024). It appears to be restricted to shallow, high-energy habitats (Gill 1998). The maximum standard length is 2.7 cm (Larson 2022).

This intertidal species may be impacted by coastal development and water pollution (Larson and Murdy 2010).

This species is not utilized.

There are no species-specific conservation measures.

Research on the population status of this species is needed.