Continental fishes of Nicaragua: diversity, distribution and conservation status; with an annotated and illustrated checklist of species and an identification guide to families Author Angulo, Arturo Escuela de Biología, Museo de Zoología / Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (CIBET) and Centro de Author Betts, Joel T. 0000-0002-6018-8995 Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd # 13, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA joel. t. betts @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6018 - 8995 joel.t.betts@gmail.com Author González-Alemán, Néstor J. Unidad de Gestión Técnica de Proyectos - Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales y de Cooperación Externa (ORICE / UGETEP), Author Castañeda, Edgar 0000-0001-8148-3195 Universidad Americana (UAM, Costado Noroeste Camino de Oriente, Managua, Nicaragua edgar. ecologica @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8148 - 3195 edgar.ecologica@gmail.com Author Berghe, Eric Van Den 0000-0001-7566-0415 Department of Environment and Development, Zamorano Biodiversity Center. Zamorano University of Tegucigalpa, P. O. Box 93, Honduras evandenberghe @ zamorano. edu; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7566 - 0415 evandenberghe@zamorano.edu Author Elías, Diego J. Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH). Chicago, Illinois, United States of America delias @ fieldmuseum. org; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4215 - 0384 cmcmahan @ fieldmuseum. org; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 2113 - 8554 delias@fieldmuseum.org Author Mcmahan, Caleb D. Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH). Chicago, Illinois, United States of America delias @ fieldmuseum. org; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4215 - 0384 cmcmahan @ fieldmuseum. org; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 2113 - 8554 delias@fieldmuseum.org Author Matamoros, Wilfredo A. wilmatamoros@yahoo.com text Zootaxa 2023 2023-11-27 5376 1 1 89 https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/download/zootaxa.5376.1.1/52351 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5376.1.1 1175-5334 10208788 9ECCB3F7-5481-47C2-8A5A-E9A3F38C31BA Family Ephippidae Bleeker 1859 ( Fig. 5D ). Spadefishes; Curacas, Catecismos, Pagualas, Polleras, Jambos Description: Body deep, ovate and compressed; usually up to 70 cm in length; head short; mouth small, opens at front; jaws withbands of brush-like teeth; no teeth on roof of mouth; preopercle finely serrated; dorsal fin continuous, with 5 or 9 spines and 18–40 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 15–28 soft rays ( Robertson & Allen 2015 , Nelson et al. 2016). Distribution: Marine (rarely in brackish water, very rare in freshwater); Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans ( Nelson et al. 2016). One genus and one species in Nicaraguan freshwaters.