*Information from FAO Species Identification Guide Western Central Atlantic*
Size
Maximum size 86 cm; common to 70 cm disc width; males mature at 60 to 70 cm disc width; neonates 25 cm at birth.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries
Found most frequently in coastal waters, to 10mdepth, mainly in shallow estuaries. In the northern part of its range, this species migrates northward during early summer and southward during early winter.Capable of travelling long distances; occasionally leaping out of the water.Food consists of bivalves, gastropods, and crustaceans (lobsters and crabs). Caught mainly on longlines and with trammel nets. Marketed salted in limited quantities.
Distribution
Occurs from Cape Cod (rarely) to southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. Also present in the northern Gulf of Mexico, but absent from the Greater and Lesser Antilles and Bahamas. Presence in the Caribbean appears to be limited to northern South America.
