New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🍽️ Edible 🌡️ Tropical

Smalleye croaker

Nebris microps Cuvier, 1830
Max Length
40 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.6
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
31.00/100
Typical Length
35 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Inhabits sandy muddy bottoms in coastal waters and in estuaries. Juveniles restricted to brackish waters . Feeds mainly on shrimps. Marketed mostly fresh and salted, an important foodfish. One of the most highly priced species in Trinidad.

Scientific Name
Nebris microps
Authority
Cuvier, 1830
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
40 cm
Latitude
28°S – 12°N
Trophic Level
3.6
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
31.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29 - 32; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10. : fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Smalleye croaker is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 50 m. Tropical; 12°N - 28°S, 34°W - 76°W southeast Brazil.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.6±0.59
Food Items

shrimps

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00851 × L3.07 (TL)
Max TL
40cm
Dorsal Spines
10
Dorsal Rays
31
Anal Spines
2
Anal Rays
10

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2020

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
31.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.6
Predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
12°N – 28°S
Described By
Cuvier, 1830

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Smalleye croaker is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

⚡ Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

Nutrient Amount
Protein 19.2 g
Omega-3 (total) 237 mg

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Smalleye croaker has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact
✓ Sustainable Choice

🔬 Full Nutritional Profile

Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (lean white fish average)

Proximate Composition
Energy90 kcal
Moisture80 %
Protein18 %
Total Fat1.2 %
Ash1.2 %
Fatty Acids (g)
Saturated Fat0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.4 g
Omega-3 Total0.3 g
EPA0.08 g
DHA0.15 g
Omega-6 Total0.05 g
Key Minerals & Vitamins
Calcium18 mg
Iron0.4 mg
Magnesium30 mg
Phosphorus200 mg
Potassium380 mg
Sodium60 mg
Zinc0.4 mg
Selenium30 µg
Vitamin B60.3 mg
Vitamin B121 µg

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Butterfish · Croaker · Smalleye Croaker
🌍CES smuha drobnooká
🇫🇷French Courbine Tiyeux · Courbine tiyeux, Acoupa à petit yeux
🇯🇵Japanese ゴマメニベ
🇵🇹Portuguese Amor-sem-olho · Bacalhau · Banana · Cururuca · Maria-mole · Olho-de-moça · Pescada Sete-buchos · Pescada-banana · Pescada-tunica · Pescadinha · Sete-buchos · pescada-loira · sete-grude
🇷🇺Russian Суринамский малоглазый горбыль
🇪🇸Spanish Corvina Ojo Chico

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Plagioscion microps Steindachner 1917 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 79 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Smalleye croaker ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.