Stellifer cervigoni Chao, Carvalho-Filho & Andrade Santos, 2021
Black gill stardrum
Stellifer cervigoni
photo by Chao et al., 2021

Family:  Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Max. size:  10.8 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; brackish; marine
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Caribbean Is., Lesser Antilles, Dominica, Venezuela (north coast of the Araya Peninsula and the Gulf of Paria) and north coast of Brazil (ParĂ¡ State); probably occurring elsewhere.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 12-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22-25; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 8-9. This species is distinguished from all its congeners in the Atlantic by the following characters: jetblack mouth roof and inner opercular lining, except S. rastrifer, which also has a dark grayish lining, but never jetblack; differs from S. rastrifer by the slightly oblique, subterminal mouth (vs. oblique in S. rastrifer), total gill-rakers on the first arch usually 36-38 (vs. 44-50), a shorter pelvic fin 4.8-5.3 times in SL (vs. 4.0-4.8 times), and the hind margin of the anterior chamber of the gas bladder has a pair of small knob-like, hammerhead-shaped diverticula (vs. a pair of tubular appendages) (Ref. 125562).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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