Trinectes maculatus
(Bloch and Schneider 1801)
Family Achiridae

Lateral view of a hogchoker
This hogchoker was collected in Lee County, Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 238077. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The hogchoker is a member of the American sole family. This species has a flattened and oblong body, a rounded snout and no pectoral fins. The eyes are on the right side of the head and the lateral line is straight, continuing to the caudal fin edge. The upper side of the body is brown with dusky to black bars and blotches, and the lower side of the body is white. The hogchoker is a marine species that enters sandy – sometimes muddy – runs and pools of streams. This species can often be found far inland.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Marine invader
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages, the Gulf Coast, South Florida and the Atlantic Coast
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