Species: Joturus pichardi, Bobo Mullet

Joturus pichardi Poey, 1860

Bobo Mullet

Body robust; head deeper than wide; upper surface of head convex between eyes; no fatty eyelid; mouth small, opens under projecting snout; lips thin, lower lip with a prominent median knob; jaw teeth small and rigidly set into jawbones, tooth patch on each lower jaw well separated; upper jaw with ~3 rows of multipointed teeth; 27-40 lower gill rakers; two short, widely spaced dorsal fins, IV + I, 10 (rarely 11); anal fin II, 11 (rarely 10) pectorals high on body, 1st ray hard, I, 15-18, reaching well past origin of first dorsal fin; scales in lateral series 42-46, 13-14 in transverse series, 20 around base of tail; second dorsal and anal fins covered with small scales in adults; no lateral line.

Silvery to grey green; lower head may be yellow; dorsal, anal and pelvic fins dark at base, with yellow-green margins; tail fin dark at base, covered with irregular black and yellow blotches. Juveniles: silvery white, with dark stripes on dorsal, anal and tail fins.

Size: grows to 61 cm.

Habitat: adults in freshwater but probably spawn in brackish lagoons or the sea.

Depth: 0-5 m.

S Gulf of Mexico to the SW Caribbean; the Greater Antilles.