Species: Guavina guavina, Guavina, Guavina Sleeper

Guavina guavina (Valenciennes, 1837)

Guavina, Guavina Sleeper

Body elongate, head long, flattened, wide, blunt; mouth large, lower jaw projecting; teeth small conical, in several rows on jaws, the outer row on top jaw longer, but without canines; gill membranes broadly joined to throat, with 6 rays; dorsal fin VII + I, 10, fins well separated, base of 2nd dorsal <distance from the end of that base to tail fin; anal fin I, 8-9; pectoral 16, broad and fan like; pelvic fins I, 5, long, completely and widely separate; scales rough at rear, smooth at front, small, ~110 in lateral series; top of head densely covered with smooth scales; no lateral line.

Head, body and fins dark brown to grayish brown; 3 dark stripes radiating back and down from eye, the top one continuing onto the base of the pectoral fin; dorsal fins with 3-4 irregular interrupted oblique stripes; outer edges of dorsals, anal and pelvic fins with a yellow stripe; top and bottom margins of tail fin with a yellow stripe.

Reaches: 30 cm.

Habitat: Found in fresh waters with access to the sea and in brackish to hypersaline waters.

Depth: 0-10 m.

Florida to Brazil.