Species: Citharichthys spilopterus, Bay Whiff

Citharichthys spilopterus Gunther, 1862

Bay Whiff

Body a moderately elongate oval (usually <45% of SL); snout a little projecting, nape concave; eyes on left side, not large (<25% of head), close-set, only a narrow bony crest between them; lower head profile angular; mouth medium length ends under lower eye, top jaw 39-44% of head; teeth ~equally developed on both sides of jaws, fixed teeth in 1 series on each jaw, no canines; gill rakers long and slender, 3-5 + 11-12; edge of operculum on blind side without cirri; 76-84 dorsal fin rays, origin of fin before upper eye; anal fin 57-63 rays; pectoral fin on both sides of body, with branched rays; pelvic fins symmetrically positioned on belly, base of eye-side fin on body midline, short bases, 6 rays; urinary papilla on blind side, immediately behind anus; lateral line well developed on both sides, eye-side line ~straight, from edge of opercle to tail base, no branch under lower eye; scales rough on eye side, smooth on blind side, 43-47 on lateral line.

Brown; with scattered pale and dark brown spots, sometimes a row of dark spots along inner half of dorsal and anal fins; a dark spot at end of tail base, near the tail fin.

Reaches 20 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms, in hypersaline and brackish water, estuarine dependent.

Depth range: 1-75 m.

New Jersey to S Brazil.