Biology

Inhabitant estuaries, coastal rivers, creeks, lakes and bays, usually in marine or brackish water, but in dry seasons they penetrate the lowermost reaches of fresh water (Ref. 44894). Common in coastal and estuarine rocky habitat. They enter rivers upstream to the limit of brackish waters. They migrate from their feeding to their spawning grounds; they spawn mainly during winter in the vicinity of river entrances; eggs are planktonic and hatch after 2.5 days. A portion of the population changes sex from male to female after spawning. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms, fish and ascidians.