Species: Centropomus parallelus, Smallscale Fat Snook

Centropomus parallelus Poey, 1860

Smallscale Fat Snook

Body oblong, compressed, deep; upper head profile straight to slightly concave; mouth large and protractile, lower jaw protruding; teeth small, in bands; margin of preopercle serrated; gill rakers 14-17; dorsal rays VIII + I, 9 (rarely 8 or 10), 3rd spine > 4th; anal fin short, III strong spines, 6-7 (usually 6), second spine very stout, curved, longer than third spine when erect, about reaching to level of tail fin base when depressed; pectoral soft rays 14-17, fin not reaching tip of pelvic; pelvics insert a little behind pectoral base, with I strong spine and 5 rays; tips of pelvic fins reach to or past anus in all but largest fish; scales large, rough, lateral scales (immediately above lateral line) 79-92; 9-16 between lateral line and 2nd dorsal fin origin, 13-18 between lateral line and anal fin origin; lateral line extends to the end of the forked tail fin.

Overall yellow-brown to greenish-brown above, silvery below; dark lateral line; fins dusky.

Size: to 63 cm.

Inhabits bays, estuaries, entering freshwater; prefers low salinity to freshwater over marine conditions.

Depth: 0-15 m.

Florida to southern Brazil.

Note: C. mexicanus, a genetic variant restricted to the southern and western Gulf of Mexico, is a synonym of C. parallelus.