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Species: Centropomus undecimalis, Common Snook

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

large size, slender body
mouth extends past eye
D1 triangular, spine 3>> 4; D2 I, 10
LL black
tail often bicolored: top lobe yellow, bottom lobe dusky
gill rakers 11-14
pectoral 15-17, = / > pelvic
A III, 6, spines short, straight, not reaching tip 1st A ray or C base
scales: 67-78 laterals, LL to A origin 10-14

Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1792)

Common Snook

Body oblong, compressed, slender; upper head profile slightly concave; mouth large and protractile, lower jaw protruding, long - extends past eye at rear; teeth small, in bands; margin of preopercle serrated; gill rakers 11-14; dorsal rays VIII + I, 10 (rarely 9 or 11), 3rd spine >> 4th; 1st dorsal triangular; anal fin short, III strong spines, 5-7 (usually 6), 2nd spine robust, relatively straight and short, </= 3rd spine when erect, spines not reaching to tip of front anal rays or to base of tail fin when depressed; pectoral soft rays 14-16 (usually 15-16), fin about as long as pelvic; pelvics insert a little behind pectoral base, with I strong spine and 5 rays; tips of pelvic fins not reaching anus in adults; scales large, rough, lateral scales (immediately above lateral line) 67-77 (usually 68-75); 10-14 scales 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; black lateral line; fins dusky; tail fin often bicolored, top lobe yellowish, bottom lobe sooty.

Size: to 140 cm.

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

Depth: 0-25 m.

S Carolina to southern Brazil.


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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)
  • Water column
  • Beach
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mangrove
  • Mud
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • 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
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • 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
  • 140
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 25