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Species: Stellifer cervigoni, Alpha Stardrum

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

head low, wide, spongy, translucent
inside operculum & roof mouth black
D1 XI+1-11
scales smooth on head
mouth slightly oblique, opens under snout
chin 6 pores
gill rakers long, usually 36-38
preopercle 6-9 spines

Stellifer cervigoni Chao, Carvalho-Filho & Santos, 2021

Alpha Stardrum

Body elongate, moderately compressed; head large, low and broad, skull cavernous, translucent, moderately firm to touch, wide between eyes; mouth small, slightly oblique, opens under snout; chin with 6 pores, no barbels; snout with 8 pores; preopercle with 6-9 bony spines at angle lowest are longest; gill rakers long and slender, 36-38 (35-41); top corner of gill opening notched; deep notch between spiny and soft parts of dorsal fin, XI + I-II, 22-25; anal fin with short base II, 9, 2nd spine short and stout; pectorals reach to or just before anus; tail fin rounded, = ¾ head length; pored lateral line scales 54-56; rough on body, smooth on head; soft dorsal and anal covered with scales from base to edge; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Preserved fish: uniform silvery tan; fins uniform pale; roof of mouth black, bottom pale; inside operculum black, visible externally.

Reaches 17.5 cm.

On sandy mud bottoms; juveniles in freshwater.

Depth range: 5-47 m.

Dominica to Brazil


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continental primarily
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Not evaluated / Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 17.5
Depth Range Min
  • 5
Depth Range Max
  • 47