Common names: stardrum (English), corvinilla (Espanol), china (Espanol), mojarilla (Espanol)
 
Stellifer chrysoleuca (Günther, 1867)


Short-nose stardrum,     Striped stardrum



Body oblong, robust, more or less compressed; head large, low and broad, skull cavernous, translucent, spongy to touch, wide between eyes; eye 4.5-5.2 in head length; snout blunt, projecting slightly beyond upper jaw; mouth inferior, slightly oblique; teeth in villiform bands, those in outer row of upper jaw enlarged; chin with 6 pores, no barbels; snout with 8 pores; margin of preopercle with 9-14 spiny serrations, strong spine at angle and those below it enlarged and usually directed downward; gill rakers long and slender, 21-26; dorsal rays IX-X + I, 20-23; deep notch between spiny and soft parts of dorsal fin; anal fin with short base II, 8-9, 2nd  spine strong, nearly as long as 1st ray; tail margin with blunt central point to rounded; scales rough on body and head, smooth on chin and fins; soft dorsal and anal fins covered with smooth scales; lateral line pores 48-51.



Silvery with dusky scale margins and faint dusky blackish stripes following scale rows; fins dusky blackish, except pectorals slightly yellowish and pelvics white.


Size: reaches about 30 cm.

Inhabits coastal waters.

Depth: 1-30 m.

SE Gulf of California to Peru.