Species: Brevoortia patronus, Gulf Menhaden

Brevoortia patronus Goode, 1878

Gulf Menhaden

Deep bodied, compressed; head, and especially the gill cover, large; mouth large, upper jaw with a distinct central notch into which the tip of the lower jaw fits; adults without jaw teeth; gill rakers long, fine, numerous, those on upper part of gill arch overlapping those on lower arm; dorsal and anal fins short, anal origin under or behind last dorsal ray; pelvics i, 6; its rear margin rounded, inner rays nearly equal to outer rays when fin is folded back; a forked tail fin; belly midline fully covered with a keel of scutes (hard, spiny scales), 28-32 scutes; scales rough, large, 42-48 in lateral series; scales on upper tail base and base of tail fin a little smaller and a little irregularly spaced; back before dorsal fin with a ridge along the midline formed by a double line of modified scales.

Blue grey above, brassy green on sides; a black spot just behind upper corner of operculum, often followed by a series of smaller spots; fins yellow-green, a dark margin to tail fin.

Reaches 35 cm.

Marine, inshore pelagic.

Depth range: 0-60 m.

The Gulf of Mexico.