[1] It occurs in rivers, including brackish waters, in much of the Gulf of Mexico basin from Mexico as far south as Panama and the Caribbean coast of Colombia, as well as the West Indies and the United States state of Florida.

[3] In Costa Rica it is found in the east of the country along the Caribbean coast, especially in the north, for example in the drainages of the Parismina River, where it is not abundant,[2] and up to 600m in altitude in the rivers of the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge, where it is uncommon.

[4] It is a fish which lives in warm parts of large mountain streams, but migrates downstream (catadromy) to breed in estuaries.

It is found around large boulders in clear, swift-flowing waters when adult, sharing this habitat with Sicydium sp.

It has historically suffered from population decrease and overfishing in Costa Rica.