Species: Diplectrum radiale, Aquavina, Aquavina Sand Perch

Diplectrum radiale (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

Aquavina, Aquavina Sand Perch

Body elongate, moderately compressed; eye small; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed; teeth fixed, not depressible; angle of preopercle with rectangular bony spur supporting 1 cluster of radiating spines; dorsal fairly low, X spines, 11-13 rays; anal fin III, 6-8; pectoral 16-18; pelvics inserted under or a little before pectorals; tail fin moderately forked; scales moderately small, rough; snout and between eyes scaleless; 50-52 lateral scales; 9-10 rows of scales between eye and lower corner of preoperculum.

Pale grey brown; operculum with a dark blotch; body with 2 sets of thin dark stripes above midline; usually a dark oval spot on tail fin base; dorsal fin clear, with orange border and base, soft dorsal and anal with small orange spots; pectoral rays orange; pelvics and anal fin yellow.

Reaches 26 cm.

Inshore seagrass flats and sand and rubble bottoms.

Depth range: 10-105 m, usually below 20 m.

Panama to Brazil; the Lesser Antilles