Mugil rubrioculus Harrison, Nirchio, Oliveira, Ron & Gaviria 2007

Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Jelks, Howard L., 2014, Marine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands: an annotated checklist, Zootaxa 3803 (1), pp. 1-120 : 31

* Mugil rubrioculus Harrison, Nirchio, Oliveira, Ron & Gaviria 2007 — Redeye Mullet, Fig. 6D

Justification: UF 183045 (5, 50–160 SL), Molasses Pier and UF 183048 (2, 38–86 mm SL), Great Pond Bay .

Distribution: Harrison et al. (2007): WA (FL, LA, WC, nSA).

Remarks: The precise Caribbean distribution of this recently described mullet ( Harrison et al., 2007) is uncertain owing to its similarity to M. curema . These two species can be distinguished (characters of M. rubrioculus given first with those of M. curema in parentheses) as follows: in life, iris reddish-orange (absent or indistinct), base of pectoral fin with small dark spot on dorsal part of base (dark spot extending vertically down most of fin base), anal fin pale (fin dark); scales on flanks usually lack minute, overlying secondary scales (flanks usually with secondary scales). Both species have the second dorsal and anal fins densely covered with scales and the anal fin of adults have three spines (first spine very short) and nine segmented rays (two spines and 10 rays in young, ca. 50 mm SL or smaller). Adults of the other St. Croix Mugil species also differ in having only eight anal-fin rays.

Figures

FIGURE 6. (A) Antennarius multiocellatus, UF 149669, 13.2 mm SL, L. A. Rocha; (B) Antennarius pauciradiatus, UF 149677, 27 mm SL, L. A. Rocha; (C) Agonostomus monticola, UF 180903, 86 mm SL, H. L. Jelks; (D) Mugil rubrioculus, UF 183045, 130 mm SL, H. L. Jelks; (E) Atherinomorus stipes, UF 180968, 46 mm SL, H. L. Jelks.