Species: Eucinostomus melanopterus, Flagfin Mojarra

Eucinostomus melanopterus (Bleeker, 1863)

Flagfin Mojarra

Body oval, fusiform, compressed, depth 28.6-38.5% of SL; eye large; 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; margin of bone under eye and of preopercle smooth; 9 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); anal rays III, 8, 2nd spine stronger but not longer than third; pectoral fin long, reaching origin of anal fin; 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 44-47.

Silvery, darker above; no distinct markings on body; spiny dorsal with a prominent black blotch on outer part, bordered inside by a white stripe, base of fin dusky; pelvic and anal fins pale yellow.

Grows to 19.3 cm.

On shallow sand, mud and shell bottoms, with or without vegetation; marine and brackish water.

Depth: 0-25 m.

The E and W Atlantic; S Carolina to central Brazil.