Species: Odontoscion dentex, Reef Croaker

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.