Species: Eleotris amblyopsis, Large-scaled spinycheek sleeper
Eleotris amblyopsis (Cope, 1871)
Large-scaled spinycheek sleeper
Head broad, depressed; body robust; snout short; interorbital broad, 3 times eye diameter; mouth large, oblique, lower jaw projecting; upper jaw extending to middle or end of eye; several rows of fine teeth on jaws, with an outer row of large canines at rear, and/or in inner row where jaws meet at front of mouth; front nostril tubular overlapping upper lip, rear nostril an open pit; a strong, forward-pointing spine embedded in the skin at the lower rear corner of the preopercle; gill opening extends to below opercle; gill membranes broadly joined to throat, with 6 rays; dorsal fin VI + I, 8 (7-9), base of 2nd dorsal < distance from the end of that base to tail fin; pectoral 16 (15-18); anal fin I, 8 (7-8); pelvics I, 5, fins separate, no anterior membrane; scales mostly smooth at front, rough on body; predorsal scales 36 (29-46); 49 (40-58) scales in lateral series; top of head (except tip of snout), cheeks and opercle scaled, tiny scales between eyes; no lateral line.
Body dark brown laterally, lighter along the top or tan, with scattered spots on upper back, but no rows of spots on sides forming thin stripes; cheek with 2 dark stripes radiating posteriorly from eye; a large spot on upper pectoral-fin base, may be covered by the opercular membrane; 1st dorsal fin with dark stripe along base and another interrupted stripe through middle of fin; 2nd dorsal fin with 5 to 8 wavy diagonal stripes; anal fin dusky or with up to 7 wavy rows of spots; caudal fin with 10-14 bars formed by small spots on rays; pectoral fins with small spots on rays; pelvic fins with fewer rows of spots.
Reaches: 8.3 cm.
Habitat: adults in fresh water streams; juveniles in low salinity intertidal areas, and in hypersaline habitats.
Depth: 0-5 m.
N Carolina to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Estuary
- Submerged vegetation
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- Mud
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Freshwater
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Insects
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Extends South of GC
- Island (s)
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- All species..
- Also in Brazil
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 8.3
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 5
