Genus: Argentina, Argentines, Striated Argentine, Striated Argentines

ARGENTINA

STRIATED ARGENTINES, ARGENTINES

Elongate, compressed, silvery bodies; large eyes; a small mouth that opens at the front, with the upper jaw lacking teeth; top jawbones do not meet at front; teeth on center and sides of roof of mouth in continuous band; teeth on front and sides of tongue; lower gill rakers 7 or less, short, robust; fins without spines; one dorsal fin (10-14) at center of body plus a small adipose fin behind it above the anal fin; pectorals low on the sides; pelvics 10-15, under (but behind the origin of) dorsal fin; anal fin small (11-25); tail fin strongly forked; scales small, smooth, easily detached.

A circumglobal genus except for central Pacific, with 12 species; with 4 species in our region, only 1 of which enters shallow water and is treated here.