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Species: Centropomus parallelus, Smallscale Fat Snook

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

snout not upturned
gill rakers 14 - 17
pectoral 14-17, fin < pelvic
A III,6, 2nd spine curved back, ~reaches C base, > 3rd when erect
scales: 79-92 laterals, LL to A origin 13-18, D2 to LL 9-16

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.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Mid Water
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Water column
  • Beach
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mangrove
  • Mud
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 63
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 15