mojarra, common name for a member of the family Gerridae, small tropical food fishes. The many American species are found chiefly off the S Atlantic coast but also along the Pacific coast. Mojarras are rarely over a foot (30 cm) in length and are silvery in color. The fins can be retracted into specialized grooves located under the anal and dorsal fins. They feed on plant life, extending their jaws in order to engulf their food. The thick-lipped mojarra belongs to the genus Cichlasoma. Mojarras are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Gerridae.

The mojarras are a family, Gerreidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes.

Mojarras are a common prey and bait fish in many parts of the Caribbean including the South American Coast and Caribbean islands. These species tend to be difficult to identify in the field and often require microscopic examination. Most species exhibit a schooling behavior and tend to exploit the shallow water refugia associated with coastal areas presumably to avoid large-bodied predators.

Mojarra is also commonly used in Latin American countries as a name for various species of the Cichlid family.

Genera

• Diapterus Ranzani, 1842
• Eucinostomus Baird and Girard in Baird, 1855
• Eugerres Jordan and Evermann, 1927
• Gerres Quoy and Gaimard, 1824
• Parequula Steindachner, 1879
• Pentaprion Bleeker, 1850
• Ulaema Jordan and Evermann in Jordan, 1895

References