Home · Gerreidae · Guinean striped mojarra
Guinean striped mojarra (Gerres nigri) — Gerreidae

Guinean striped mojarra

Gerres nigri
Family: Gerreidae
LC · Least Concern

The Guinean striped mojarra (Gerres nigri) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gerreidae that grows up to 20 cm.

Length
20 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0–60.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Guinean striped mojarra is a silvery coastal fish of the family Gerreidae from the eastern Atlantic, along the coast of West Africa. The species has a fairly deep, silvery body and reaches about 20 cm. Characteristic is the highly protrusible mouth with which it searches the bottom for food. It lives over mud and sand bottoms to about 60 m deep and often enters estuaries and coastal lagoons to spawn. The diet consists of fishes, shrimps, molluscs, plankton and detritus. The species is of commercial importance and is regularly eaten.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Guinean striped mojarra?

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

Where does the Guinean striped mojarra live?

The Guinean striped mojarra lives in brackish water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Guinean striped mojarra get?

The Guinean striped mojarra grows to a maximum of about 20 cm. On average the species is around 15 cm.

Is the Guinean striped mojarra dangerous to humans?

No, the Guinean striped mojarra is harmless to humans.

Is the Guinean striped mojarra edible?

Yes, the Guinean striped mojarra is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Guinese mojarra sourced
English name
Guinean striped mojarra verified
Scientific name
Gerres nigri
Family
Gerreidae

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
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 sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Gerres

More from the family Gerreidae

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