Species: Gonioplectrus hispanus, Spanish flan, Spanish flag

A - large red blotch
pelvics mauve

Gonioplectrus hispanus (Cuvier, 1828)
Spanish flag
Body oblong, depth about equal to head length; head large, 42-45% of SL, upper profile angular; top of head rough, without scales; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, with a hidden bony knob under its rear end; jaws with a band of minute, depressible teeth, a short, curved, fixed canine on each side at the front of the jaws, and 1-3 similar canines along the side of each jaw; preopercle rounded, lower margin fleshy and with a large forward curved spine at its corner that is hidden by skin and scales; central opercular spine large and knife-like, extending to edge of operculum; dorsal fin VIII, 13, base of spiny part longer than base of soft part; anal fin III, 7; inner 1/3 of pelvic fin connected to body by skin; pectorals symmetrically rounded; tail fin bluntly straight to slightly rounded; lateral line curves up under spiny dorsal then down under soft dorsal; scales large, rough, 47-49 on lateral line.
Head reddish, with a yellow stripe from snout through eye to origin of dorsal fin, and yellow spots on cheek and operculum; body red, 6-7 yellow stripes from head to soft dorsal and tail base; a large blood red blotch on front of anal fin; a large white blotch on side of belly; pelvic fins mauve.
Reaches 30 cm.
Lives on hard bottoms.
Depth range: 35-460 m.
Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC non-endemic
- Extends South of GC
- Also in Brazil
- All species..
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 30
- Depth Range Min
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- 35
- Depth Range Max
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- 460