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Liza; Lebrancho; Queriman
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This mullet is found from Cuba to Patagonia. It is common in the West Indies and along the coast of Brazil. It is abundant in the Havana market where it is called lebrancho. It is the most abundant mullet seen in the market at San Juan, Porto Rico, and is perhaps the most common species about that island. It reaches a length of 18 inches and is an excellent and important food-fish, the flesh being white and flaky and of delicious flavour.
Head 4; depth 4 4/7; D. IV-I, 8; A. III, 8; scales 35,-12. Body more slender than in any other American species; snout broad and bluntish, the upper profile almost straight and horizontal; interorbital space greatly convex, its width 2 in head; preorbital large, almost covering maxillary; eye hidden anteriorly and posteriorly by a broad adipose membrane; teeth very minute; scales large, especially on top of head, about 21 between origin of dorsal and tip of snout; soft dorsal and anal almost naked; margin of soft dorsal very concave; anal similar to soft dorsal, but slightly less concave; caudal deeply forked. Colour, dusky above, silvery below; a dusky streak along each row of scales, these streaks not so wide as in M. cephalus; scales on sides and opercles with dark punctulations; ventrals pale yellowish, the fins otherwise dusky.