Species: Stellifer microps, Smalleye Stardrum
eye small

preopercle > 10 spines
head scales smooth, 1-3 rows rough scales center nape
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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Estuary
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- 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 only
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 25
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 72