Banded Croaker

Colour greyish olive above, silvery white below. Back with 7 to 9 rather conspicuous dark vertical bars. Inside of opercle dark. Lower parts of pelvic fins, anal and caudal fins yellowish. A moderately small fish, body short and robust. Mouth large, strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting. Teeth very small and pointed, set in 1 or 2 rows along edges of jaws. Chin without barbels, but with 4 minute pores. Snout with 5 marginal pores and no rostral pores. Gas bladder simple, carrot-shaped, without anterior appendages. Sagitta (Large earstone) short but very thick (Ref 51721).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24 - 27; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 6 - 7

Occurs usually over mud and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters to about 60 m depth, more rarely in estuaries. Feeds mainly on small shrimps.

fisheries: of no interest; bait: usually

Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to Texas in the USA, except for southern Florida. Including Gulf of Mexico

benthic