Species: Odontoscion dentex, Reef Croaker
eye large

front lower jaw: 1 pr canines
dark grey + spots on scales
Odontoscion dentex (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1830)
Reef Croaker
Body short, oblong, moderately compressed; head low, snout conical; eye large; tip of lower jaw with slight knob; mouth fairly large, slightly oblique, lower jaw projecting; chin with 4 pores, snout with 8; chin without barbels; both jaws with row of large teeth, widely spaced, set on narrow ridges on jaws, a pair of canines at tip of lower jaw; 19-25 long and stiff gill rakers; preopercle smooth; top corner of gill opening notched;dorsal rays XI-XII+I, 23-26; anal rays II, 8-9, 2nd spine ~3/4 1st ray; anal fin with short base, 2nd spine strong, at least 80% of length of 1st ray; tail margin straight or slightly rounded; scales large, rough on body, smooth on head (except rough on opercle); soft dorsal completely covered with small scales, plus 2-3 rows of larger scales along its base; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.
Dark grey, with dark dots on scales; inside gill cover dark; a large black spot on base of pectoral fin.
Size: to about 30 cm.
Inhabits shallow coastal reefs and nearby sand-mud bottoms.
Depth: 1-30 m.
The Gulf of Mexico to NE Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Corals
- Mud
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Pelagic fish larvae
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 30
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 30