Eucinostomus argenteus

Eucinostomus argenteus, the spotfin mojarra or silver mojarra,[2] is a species of fish belonging to the family Gerreidae. The name spotfin mojarra is descriptive of the black spot that appears on the anterior part of the dorsal fin.

Eucinostomus argenteus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gerreidae
Genus: Eucinostomus
Species:
E. argenteus
Binomial name
Eucinostomus argenteus
Baird & Girard, 1855

Description

Mojarras are silvery in color and fairly diamond-shaped. They have smooth scales, anal spines, and forked tails. Mojarras have a single dorsal fin, with spines of decreasing length along the fin. The dorsal and anal fins have scaly sheaths at their bases. A unique feature of the family Gerreidae to which it belongs is the mouth, as the upper jaw extends downward when the mouth is opened and forms a tube. When the mouth is closed, the lower jaw is concave, providing another distinctive feature. The spotfin mojarra has a black spot on the anterior part of the dorsal fin. This species also has a groove on the top of its snout that lack scales, and generally has a more slender body than other species of mojarras. On the upper part of the body, faint, irregular bars are visible.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Mojarras are tropical species, but a small number of juvenile fish have been found in the Lower Hudson at Bowline Pond and Indian Point.[3]

Taxonomy

Eucinostomus argenteus was first formally described in 1855 by Spencer Fullerton Baird and Charles Frédéric Girard with the type locality given as Beesley's Point, New Jersey.[4] It is the type species of the genus Eucinostomus as the genus was monotypic when Baird and Girard named it.[5]

References
  1. Fraser, T. & Gilmore, G. (2015). "Eucinostomus argenteus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T185994A1800543. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T185994A1800543.en. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Eucinostomus argenteus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. L.C. Smith (1985). The Inland Fishes of New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
  4. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Eucinostomus argenteus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  5. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Eucinostomus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 February 2020.

Wheeler, A. Fishes of the World. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. 1975, pp. 196

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