Genus: Dajaus, Mountain Mullet, Mountain Mullets

DAJAUS

MOUNTAIN MULLETS

Body robust; convex between eyes; eyes without transparent fatty eyelid; mouth small, opens at front; top and bottom lips thick; without fleshy knob at tip of lower lips; teeth strong, imbedded in jawbones, in bands inside lips, those on inner row on top jaw with 2-3 points, those on lower jaw with 1-2 points; tooth bands on lower jaws almost meet in center; teeth on sides (and front) of roof of mouth; two short, widely spaced dorsal fins, 1st with IV slender spines, 2nd 9 rays; anal fin II, 10; pectorals high on body, 1st ray hard; pelvics inserted behind pectoral base; weakly forked tail; scales very rough, 38-46 lateral scales; second dorsal and anal fins only with a few small scales on front base; no lateral line.

A single species in a neotropical genus, found in our region and in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.