Genus: Limia, Limias

LIMIA

LIMIAS

Head and body moderately robust, moderately compressed at rear; head depressed; front nostril not tubular; covering of eye not continuous with skin of head; preoperculum with 7-9 pores, sometimes forming a canal if 8-9 pores; mouth small, at front, slightly oblique, lower jaw slightly projecting, top jaw protractile; outer jaw teeth may be either strongly compressed, spatula-like & inner teeth 3-pointed, or outer jaw teeth are conical or incisor-like & inner teeth 1-pointed; 1 dorsal fin with short base, at rear of body; anal fin origin distinctly before dorsal fin origin; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin; tip of pelvic fin of males swollen, elongate, tip of 2nd ray fleshy, cuved inward, tip of 3rd ray branched; pectorals high on flank, 5th ray of pectoral fin not scalloped in male; 3rd anal ray unbranched; anal fin modified in male to form an elongate sex organ, tip of that organ straight, without spines, with a fleshy palp; tail base relatively narrow; tail fin rounded; scales smooth and relatively large.

A genus of primarily freshwater species ranging from  Mexico to Venezuela, with most of the ~31 species occurring in the Greater Antilles. Three species in brackish water.