The Mojarra Family – Gerreidae

There are currently EIGHTEEN members of the Mojarra or Gerreidae Family, ten from the Atlantic Ocean and eight from the Pacific Ocean, are presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (10):

FROM THE PACIFIC (8):

The fish of the Mojarra or Gerreidae Family are known in Mexico’s fishing areas as mojarras. They are small to medium-sized fish that reach a maximum length of 50 cm (20 inches). The bodies vary in depth from narrow to moderately deep and are compressed. They are covered with prominent silvery scales. Most Mojarra are silvery in color with diagnostic pigmented patterns, dark spots, stripes and/or bars. They have a head with a pointed snout that has a concave anterior lower profile, a strongly protrusible mouth that points downward when protracted, and jaws with very small villiform teeth that are absent from the roof of the mouth. Their anal and dorsal fin bases have a high scaly sheath into which the fins can fold; their caudal fin is deeply forked; their single dorsal fin is elevated at the front, their pectoral fins are normally long and pointed; and, their pelvic fin origin is below and somewhat behind the pectoral fin base.

The protrusible snout of a Mojarra Sp.

The Mojarra occur in large schools over sand or mud bottoms and are found in shallow coastal waters adjacent to reefs that they use for shelter to avoid be targeted by large predators. They are also frequently found in brackish and fresh water environments. They feed on buried organisms including polychaete worms and small organisms which are captured by plunging their protrusible mouth into the sediment, afterwards ejecting the sand through the gill openings. Mojarra are a favorite target of large game fish including sharks and they are used extensively as a live bait throughout Mexico. In many countries, including Mexico, you will find a strange assortment of fish being sold in fish markets as Mojarra, although somewhat small, the majority are considered to be an excellent food fish with the larger species being sold extensively by the larger markets throughout Mexico. The classic example in Mexico is the very common top eating fish, THE Mojarra (the Pacific Porgy, Calamus brachysomus), which is actually not a Mojarra but is from the Sparidae or Porgy Family, and lacks the protrusible mouth. Mojarra date to the Eocene Period 55 million years ago.

Due to the strongly protrusible mouth; minute teeth and the anal and dorsal fin bases scaly sheath and the silvery color the Mojarra cannot be easily confused with fish from any other family.