MOJARRAS - GERREIDAE
Note:
The species in the genus Eucinostomus are extremely similar and can be difficult to distinguish visually (Bigeye/ Flagfin/ Spotfin/ Mottled/ Silver Jenny etc).
General:
Chiefly marine. In brackish water occasionally; rare in freshwater. Very protractile mouth. Small silvery fishes with highly protrusible mouth.
They feed by sorting benthic invertebrates from sand. Foodfishes.
Assumed to be nonguarders (of eggs).
Most of the adult species occur in coastal lagoons with sandy or muddy bottoms bordered by mangroves; however, they occasionally enter river mouths. Juveniles enter estuaries until they reach maturity; spawning occurs at sea throughout the seasons
Head scaly but with smooth upper surface. Dorsal and anal fins with a sheath of scales along base. Gill membranes not united to isthmus. Deeply forked tail; 24 vertebrae. Maximum length 35 cm, attained in Gerres filamentosus.
Etymology
Latin, gerres, -es = a kind of anchovy