Species: Eleotris perniger, Smallscaled Spinycheek Sleeper

Eleotris perniger (Cope, 1871)

Smallscaled 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; gill opening extends to below opercle; a strong, forward-pointing spine embedded in the skin at the lower rear corner of the preopercle; gill membranes broadly joined to throat, with 6 rays; dorsal fin VI + I, 8 (7-8), base of 2nd dorsal < distance from the end of that base to tail fin; pectoral 18 (16-19); anal fin I, 8; pelvic I, 5, fins separate, no anterior membrane; scales mostly smooth at front, rough on body; predorsal scales 49 (39-62); 60 (54-68) 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 along the top or tan with rows of dark brown spots on sides sometimes forming thin horizontal pin-stripes; abdomen lighter; cheek with two dark stripes radiating posteriorly from eye; a large dark spot on upper pectoral-fin base which may be covered by the opercular membrane.

Reaches: 10.0 cm.

Habitat: juveniles in tidal creeks, over a substrate of sand and rocks amid mangrove roots; adults in fresh water lakes.

Depth: 0-5 m.

Bermuda to Brazil.