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Species: Eucinostomus harengulus, Tidewater Mojarra

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body depth 33-36% SL
no dark V on snout
back 7 saddles, joining 6 flank blotches
tail base least depth 10.4-11.1% SL
8 lower gill rakers
pectoral scaleless
A III
scaleless pit before eyes not closed/restricted at front by scales
LL 43-46

Eucinostomus harengulus Goode & Bean, 1879

Tidewater Mojarra

Body oval, fusiform, compressed, depth 33.2-35.9% of SL; the lower profile of the head distinctively concave; the mouth is highly extensible, pointing downward when protruded; jaws appear toothless but have tiny, brush-like teeth; lower border of preopercle smooth; bone under front of eye with smooth border; 7-8 lower gill rakers; dorsal fin IX, 10, 2nd spine </= distance between tip of snout and rear of eye, last spine short (5.8-7.1% of SL); pectoral not reaching to anal fin origin; anal rays III, 8, spines weak, 2nd spine short, < height of tail base; tail base least depth 10.4-11.1% SL; tail fin deeply forked; scales large, conspicuous and finely rough, covering most of head and body; dorsal and anal fins fold into a high scaly sheath along their bases; pectorals without scales; scales extend before front of eye on top of snout around scaleless groove that is neither constricted on each side at front by scales, nor crossed by a row scales at front; lateral line scales 43-46.

Relatively heavily pigmented: silvery; body with 6 dark blotches along mid-side that join with 7 oblique bars on upper back; outer part of spiny dorsal dark; no distinct V shaped mark on snout.

Grows to 15 cm.

Primarily in estuaries on vegetated bottoms, mangroves and sand and mud bottoms; penetrating into freshwater.

Depth: 0-10 m.

Cape Hatteras to Argentina.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Non Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Beach
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mangrove
  • 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
  • Insects
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
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 N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • 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)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 15
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 10