Species: Oligoplites palometa, Maracaibo Leatherjack

Oligoplites palometa (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1832)

Maracaibo Leatherjack

Elongate, very compressed; upper and lower head profiles similar, slightly convex; snout pointed; upper jaw 58-64% of head length, extends past eye; upper jaw with a band of small teeth, wider at front; lower jaw of adults with 2 rows of conical teeth; lower jaw not expanded, with weakly convex lower profile; gill rakers 23-26, lower rakers 11-14; dorsal rays IV free spines (rarely V)+I, 20-21; anal rays II+I, 19-20; posterior 11-15 dorsal and anal soft rays forming semi-detached finlets; pectoral short (< head length); tail base slender; tail strongly forked; lateral line slightly arched over pectoral fin, but mainly straight; scales needle shaped, partly buried; no scutes on lateral line.

Blue green above, orange below; tail fin yellow-orange, with narrow black rear edge; front lobe of 2nd dorsal black; pectorals yellow; anal white.

Size: grows to 50 cm.

Pelagic, mainly fresh and brackish water but also in muddy marine areas.

Depth: 0-45 m.

Guatemala to Brazil.