Eric Mabius -- a veteran television actor -- has been arrested in Florida for battery ... TMZ has learned.

The star was arrested Thursday morning and booked into the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center just before 6 AM.

He was booked on two charges ... battery and resisting an officer without violence. They are both misdemeanor charges. He's not smiling in his mug shot -- and, it appears he may have a cut by his right eye.

Mabius rose to fame in the mid to late 1990s ... appearing on shows like "Chicago Hope," "Party of Five" and "Get Real." He had a recurring role as Tim Haspel on "The L Word."

Eric's big break came on "Ugly Betty," where he played Daniel Meade -- editor of "Mode," the prestigious fashion magazine America Ferrera's Betty works at -- in 85 episodes of the show.

His other credits include ... "The O.C.," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "Blue Bloods," "Franklin & Bash," "Chicago Fire," "Outcasts" and more.

We've reached out to cops and Mabius' team ... so far, no word back.

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