A small marine teleost fish belonging to the Sparidae family, endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Coastal marine environments, seagrass beds, estuaries, and nearshore waters with depths ranging from 0-50 meters, typically found in subtropical and temperate marine ecosystems.
Critical component of marine food webs, serving as prey for larger predatory fish, supporting coastal ecosystem biodiversity and acting as an indicator species for marine habitat health.
