Species: Rhonciscus crocro, Burro Grunt

Rhonciscus crocro (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1830)

Burro Grunt

Body elongate, robust, (depth 29-36% of SL), strongly compressed; eye moderate 6.7-7.8% SL; rear margin of bone under eye concealed by scales; mouth small to moderate size, inside not red, lips thin; chin with 2 pores at front and 2 inside hole behind, plus a longitudinal groove; preopercle coarsely serrated, ventral serrations not forward pointing; 7-9 short, blunt lower gill rakers; dorsal fin XIII, 11-13; anal rays III, 6-7, second anal spine long and thick; scales over entire body and head except front of snout, lips and chin; lateral-line scales 66-72; 8 scale rows above and 16 rows below lateral line; soft dorsal fin with a low sheath of scales on its base but no scales on membranes between rays.

Adults: dark olivaceous above, silvery below; fins dusky; soft dorsal with a black margin; sides with dusky spots; juveniles with several indistinct wavy dark stripes along centerline of body

Size: grows to 33 cm.

Inhabits soft bottoms and vegetation in turbid shallow water; often in rivers.

Depth: 0-10 m.

Florida to Brazil.