Common Name
Timucu
Year Described
Walbaum, 1792
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 14-17
Anal Fin: 16-20
Pectoral Fin: 10-11
Pelvic Fin: 6
Vertebrae: 68-75
Very elongate and rounded in cross-section. Jaws long and thin. Maxilla exposed when jaw is closed. Dorsal and anal fins with raised anterior lobes. Caudal fin with a slightly enlarged lower lobe. Caudal peduncle with no keel. Scales small (120-185 in predorsal series). Females with two gonads; males with two gonads.
Color
Blue-green to dusky above and silvery below. A dark lateral stripe is broad compared to relatives. Stripe continues onto cheek, making post-orbital region dark. Fins dusky.
Size
Maximum size to 42cm SL. Common to 30cm SL.
Habitat
A coastal species found in calm estuarine and mangrove areas near the surface.
Range
Both coasts of Florida to S. Brazil, including the Caribbean islands. Only appears to be present in the eastern and southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
References
Collette, B.B. 2002. Belonidae (pp 1104-1113). In: Carpenter. 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae-Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guides for Fisheries Purposes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5.