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| Common names: leatherjack (English), cuero (Espanol), piña (Espanol), zapatero (Espanol) |
Oligoplites saurus inornatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Elongate, very compressed; snout pointed; upper jaw terminating at or slightly beyond rear margin of pupil, its length 52-57% of head length; upper jaw with 2 distinct rows of teeth; gill rakers (excluding rudiments) 5-7 + 14-18; dorsal rays IV-V+I, 19-21; anal rays II+I, 19-21, fin base about = to that of soft dorsal fin; posterior 11-15 dorsal and anal soft rays forming semi-detached finlets; pectoral short (< head length); lateral line slightly arched over pectoral fin, but mainly straight; scales needle shaped, partly buried; no scutes on lateral line.
Silvery, greenish to bluish on uppermost part of back; caudal fin yellow; dorsal and anal fins clear.
Size: grows to 45 cm, common to 25 cm.
Habitat: demersal; occurs in schools along sandy beaches.
Depth: 0-50 m.
Southern Baja and the Gulf of California to Peru, Galapagos and Malpelo.
Oligoplites saurus is new world tropical species with separate subspecies in the eastern Pacific and west Atlantic.