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Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) — Gerreidae

Brazilian mojarra

Eugerres brasilianus
Family: Gerreidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) is a saltwater fish of the family Gerreidae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0–30.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Western Atlantic
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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Description

The Brazilian mojarra is a mojarra from coastal, estuarine and fresh water of the western Atlantic, along the coasts of Central and South America. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a deep, laterally compressed, silvery body with a far-protrusible mouth. As a bottom-dweller it searches over sand and mud bottoms and in mangroves for small crustaceans, worms and molluscs, which it sucks from the bottom with its protrusible mouth. It is a local food fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brazilian mojarra?

The Brazilian mojarra has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern. Far protrusible mouth to suck prey from the bottom; bottom-foraging mojarra

Where does the Brazilian mojarra live?

The Brazilian mojarra lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Western Atlantic

How big does the Brazilian mojarra get?

The Brazilian mojarra grows to a maximum of about 50 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the Brazilian mojarra dangerous to humans?

No, the Brazilian mojarra is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Brazilian mojarra edible?

Yes, the Brazilian mojarra is commonly eaten.

More photos

Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) — Gerreidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Pedro Silva, some rights reserved (CC BY))
Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) — Gerreidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Pedro Requena, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) — Gerreidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Eduardo Augusto Ferreira, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Brazilian mojarra (Eugerres brasilianus) — Gerreidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Rafael Rosa, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Brazilian mojarra verified
Scientific name
Eugerres brasilianus
Family
Gerreidae
Other names
Brazilian Mojarra; Brazilian mojarra; Mojarra del Brasil; Streaked mojarra verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Natural range
Western Atlantic verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small crustaceans, worms and molluscs inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Bottom-foraging estuary mojarra; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Far protrusible mouth to suck prey from the bottom; bottom-foraging mojarra sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Net fishing sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Eugerres

More from the family Gerreidae

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