Home · Gerreidae · Jenny mojarra
Jenny mojarra (Eucinostomus gula) — Gerreidae

Jenny mojarra

Eucinostomus gula
Family: Gerreidae
LC · Least Concern

The Jenny mojarra (Eucinostomus gula) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gerreidae that grows up to 26 cm.

Length
25.5 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0.0–55.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The jenny mojarra is a small, mirror-silver fish of the family Gerreidae (mojarras) reaching about 25 cm. The laterally compressed body stands out for its far downward-protrusible, tube-shaped mouth, with which the fish sucks prey from the soft bottom. The species forms schools over sand and mud bottoms of coastal water, estuaries and lagoons along the western Atlantic coast from the USA to Brazil and tolerates brackish water. On the bottom it searches for worms, small crustaceans and molluscs. Through its great numbers it is an important prey fish for larger fish and seabirds and is also used as bait.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Jenny mojarra?

The Jenny mojarra has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Jenny mojarra live?

The Jenny mojarra lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Jenny mojarra get?

The Jenny mojarra grows to a maximum of about 26 cm. On average the species is around 15 cm.

Is the Jenny mojarra dangerous to humans?

No, the Jenny mojarra is harmless to humans.

Is the Jenny mojarra edible?

The Jenny mojarra is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Jenny-mojarra inferred
English name
Jenny mojarra verified
Scientific name
Eucinostomus gula
Family
Gerreidae
Other names
Common mojarra; Jenny mojarra; Shad; Silver jenny verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
25.5 verified
Average length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline verified
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom verified
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
55.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Schooling verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten verified
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Eucinostomus

More from the family Gerreidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →