Species: Polydactylus oligodon, Littlescale Threadfin

Polydactylus oligodon (Gunther, 1860)

Littlescale Threadfin

Elongate, compressed; snout short, conical, translucid, overhangs mouth; eyes large, longer than snout, with fatty cover, at front of head; mouth moderate, below, with bottom lip extending to front, but no top lip; tooth bands of top jaw touching in center; preopercle serrated; gill rakers 22-30 (mean 27); two well separated dorsal fins, VIII + I, 12; anal fin base short, III, 14 (13-15); pectoral fin low on side 15-16 rays on main part, plus lower portion consisting of 7 (rarely 8) free filaments; horizontal length of total fin base shorter than upper jaw; pelvics well behind pectoral base, under 1st dorsal; tail strongly forked; scales rough; lateral line pored scales 67-73 (mean 70); 7-9 (mean 9) scales above lateral line, 11-14 (mean 13) below; lateral line extends onto tail fin.

Silvery, whitish below; snout translucent; dorsal and tail fins dark, with black edges, pelvics and anal with dark interiors, pectorals black on upper part of fin, filaments white.

Size: grows to 46 cm.

Inhabits in surf along exposed sandy beaches.

Depth: 0-20 m.

Florida to Brazil.