Eucinostomus argenteus Baird & Girard, 1855
Silver mojarra
photo by Barbosa, J.M./M. Deda

Family:  Gerreidae (Mojarras)
Max. size:  21.2 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 119.7 g
Environment:  reef-associated; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 12 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: Anaheim Bay in southern California, USA southward to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. Western Atlantic: New Jersey, USA and Bermuda through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to southeastern Brazil (Ref. 7251).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 9-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-10; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Tip of dorsal fin dusky. Premaxillary groove continuous but narrow, bordered by scales anteriorly (Ref. 26938).
Biology:  Found over soft bottoms of bays and shallow inshore areas, often along sand beaches (Ref. 2850). Enters freshwater (Ref. 7251). Juveniles are encountered in lagoons of mangroves. Omnivorous (Ref. 9303). Marketed fresh but not highly esteemed; processed into fish meal and used as live bait in the snapper fishery (Ref. 3722).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 March 2010 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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