Family Gerreidae Bleeker 1859 (Fig. 5A). Mojarras; Mojarras, Palmitas, Comearenas

Description: Body moderately deep to somewhat slender, compressed; up to 50 cm in length; lower profile of head distinctively concave; mouth highly extensible, pointing downward when protruded; jaws apparently toothless, but with tiny, brush-like teeth; no teeth on roof of the mouth; scales usually cycloid and often partially deciduous; dorsal fin with 9 or 10 spines and 9–17 soft rays; dorsal and anal fins fold into a high scaly sheath along their bases; caudal fin deeply forked (Robertson & Allen 2015, Nelson et al. 2016). Distribution: Marine (occasionally brackish and rarely in freshwaters); Circumglobally in tropical to temperate areas (Robertson & Allen 2015, Nelson et al. 2016). Four genera and fourteen species in Nicaraguan freshwaters.