Over all color light gr ey-brown. Flank bearsblotches and 8 short bars. Ventrally spots form roughlytransverse silvery stripes. Head top blotched and sidesbear a few small white dots. Seven irregular blackblotches along the back. Three black blotches on caudalpeduncle. Pelvic fins blackish with a pale margin andunited into a sucker with a well-developed basal membrane.Scales cycloid and cover body and head exceptsnout, isthmus and interorbital region. Caninoid teeth ina single row, with the anterior ones larger and pointed. Amedian fleshy ridge anterior to eyes. First dorsal finlacks elongate spines and slightly rounded. Gut short.First dorsal fin lozenge-shaped in females and lower. Gillrakers triangular with 3-4 denticles at end. On muddyshores associated with mangroves, also, enters rivers andspend much time out of water. Tolerates temperatures of16-44ºC, pH=7.6-8.7 and salinities of 10-20‰. Holesfrom 30 cm depth, with two openings constructed as arefuge. Maximum total length 20 cm. Maturity in firstyear at 73 mm. Spawning in marine environment, inMarch-April at temperatures above 25ºC. Absolute fecundityup to 35,000 eggs. Food mainly include crabs, shrimpsand other invertebrates in young, and other fishes in larger fish