Species: Scatophagus argus, Leopard scat, Spotted butterfish, Spotted scat

Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1776)

Spotted scat, Leopard scat, Spotted butterfish

Body quadrangular, strongly compressed; upper head profile steep; eye large, a little smaller than snout; snout rounded; mouth small, horizontal, not protractile; teeth simple, conical, in several rows on jaws; gill membrane forms a free fold across isthmus of throat under gills; dorsal fin XI, 16-18, 1st spine points forwards,  a deep notch between spines and soft rays; anal fin IV, 14-15; rear edges of dorsal and anal fins ~vertical;  pectorals 16; tail fin rounded (juveniles) to truncate; pectoral fins 16-17; pelvic fins I, 5; head, body, caudal fin, and soft parts of anal and dorsal fins covered with small ctenoid scales.

Color: greenish silver; body with black spots (smaller than eye) arranged in approximate rows, in large adults those may be faint and only on upper flank. Juvenile: smallest fish with 5-6 broad dark bars, 2 on head, 4 on body; larger fish spotted.

Reaches 35 cm

Lives in estuaries, harbors and lower parts of streams.

Depth range 0-5 m.

Indo-west Pacific; introduced to southeast Florida.