SPECIES INFO
The Eucinostomus genus contains several well known species. The spotfin mojarra (Eucinostomus argenteus) is found widely in the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey south to central Brazil. The spotfin is also found from California to Peru in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Pacific flagfin mojarra (Eucinostomus gracilis) can be seen in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico.
The mojarras are placed in the family Gerridae (=Gerreidae). The mojarras are found widely in warm and tropical seas, but most species are found near North America. They generally are found in schools over sand bottoms. Most species are less than 12 inches in length. These are normally small compressed fishes with two dorsal fins. They have unusual mouths that can extract food buried in sand. The first dorsal fin is high in front and spiny. There are perhaps 40 species found worldwide.
Perch-like Fish, Order Perciformes, are the largest order of fish in both freshwater and shallow saltwater. Most of the conventional fish belong to this order. The bass, bluegills, perch and crappies of freshwater plus the groupers and sea bass of salt water belong to this order. The fish all have spiny rays in their fins and the tail fin has seventeen rays. There are approximately 150 families. Herein, we have placed the families in alphabetical sequence within this order. (In some instances the typical taxonomic sequence of families is not much help. Consider, for example, that the barracudas are usually placed between the mullets and the threadfins.)
Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are found in both fresh and marine waters.
Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.
Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.
Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
