Species: Stellifer microps, Smalleye Stardrum

Stellifer microps (Steindachner, 1864)

Smalleye Stardrum

Body oblong, compressed; head large, low and broad, skull cavernous, translucent, but not spongy to touch; eye small; mouth large, slightly oblique, opens under projecting snout; central row of teeth on lower jaw slightly enlarged; chin with 6 pores, no barbels; snout with 8 pores; preopercle with >10 bony spines at angle; gill rakers short, 20-24; top corner of gill opening notched; deep notch between spiny and soft parts of dorsal fin, X + I-II, 19-23; anal fin with short base II, 9 (8-10), 2nd spine thick, ~2/3 1st ray; tail fin long, with a blunt point; pored lateral line scales 51-53; scales rough on body, smooth on head (except 1-3 rows rough along centerline of nape) and chest; scales in 2-3 rows along base of soft dorsal and covering almost all of membranes between rays; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Silvery grey above, whitish below; fins pale to yellowish; lining of body cavity dark, often visible outside; 1st dorsal tip dark; inside gill cover pale, with dark speckling.

Reaches 25 cm.

On sand and mud bottoms, also in river estuaries

Depth range: 1-72 m; usually in < 20 m.

Honduras to N Brazil.