Distinguishing Characteristics |
Body elongate, stout; color varies from olive brown tan to a bluish or darker phase; sometimes with iridescent blue spot on shoulder; faint yellowish vertical bars on sides; dark band from lower eye to chin; light radiating lines behind eyes; posterior margin of upper jaw reaches only to anterior margin of eye; pelvic fins separate, not connect by membrane; dorsal and anal fin bases short; dorsal fin spotted; anal fin yellowish with white margin; origin of anal fin just behind origin of 2nd dorsal fin; head flat. |
Similar Species |
Gobies pelvic fins are fused into a "sucking" disc. Sleepers pelvic fins are separate. Also the base of a goby's 2nd dorsal is much longer than the length from the end of the 2nd dorsal to the base of the caudal fin; the bigmouth sleeper has a narrower body, the emerald sleeper has a pointed caudal fin, and the spinycheek sleeper has a ventrally pointed spine on its preopercle. |
Habitat |
Bays, freshwater |
Maximum Size |
70 cm (27 1/2 in), common to 14.5 cm (5 1/2 in) |
Fin Element Counts |
D. VII+9; A. 10 (explain) |
Other Common Names |
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Previous Scientific Names |
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Comments |
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State size/bag limits |
None; Check for state record. |