Species: Micropogonias furnieri, Whitemouth Croaker

Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823)

Whitemouth Croaker

Elongate, oblong, moderately compressed; prominent, overhanging snout; mouth moderately large, slightly under snout; teeth villiform, outer row teeth slightly enlarged; chin with 5 pores, 3-5 inconspicuous pairs of barbels along inner side of lower jaws; snout with 10 pores, 5 at front, 5 on side; eye moderately large; gill rakers 21-25, short and slender; border of preopercle with strong teeth, 2-3 sharp spines at angle; top corner of gill opening notched; dorsal rays X+I, 26-27 (26-30), spiny dorsal relatively high, 3rd spine longest; anal rays II,7-8, 2nd spine robust, > half length of 1st anal ray; tail with angular point, both lobes slightly concave; pored lateral-line scales 48-52; 6-7 transverse scale rows between lateral line and origin of dorsal fin; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Color silvery with a pink hue; back and sides with wavy parallel oblique lines along scale rows of back and side; spiny dorsal edged in black; other fins pale yellow; dark inside gill cover.

Size: attains 90 cm.

Inhabits coastal waters, over mud bottoms; juveniles and young adults in estuaries.

Depth: 1-120 m.

The SW Gulf of Mexico, Cuba to Argentina.