Species: Hemanthias leptus, Longtail Bass

Hemanthias leptus (Ginsburg, 1952)

Longtail Bass

Body elongate, compressed, oval; head pointed, short, compressed; eye large; mouth strongly oblique; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; canine teeth at front of mouth; teeth on center and sides of roof of mouth; preopercle margin serrated above and below, no long spines; 34-39 gill rakers; dorsal fin with X, 14 (rarely 13), third dorsal spine long and filamentous, at least in adults; anal fin III, 8 (rarely 7); pelvics inserted under base of pectoral, long (40-76% of SL in adults); pectorals 15-19; tail fin forked in smaller fish, straight in adults; scales small, rough, 54-62 on lateral line, 7-8 rows between 5th dorsal fin and lateral line; top jaw and most of snout and area between eyes scaleless.

Reddish pink above, fading to pinkish white below; yellow stripe below eye from snout to above pectoral fin base; flank with a broad band of yellow spots; fins pink and yellow.

Size: grows to 56 cm.

Inhabits rocky reefs.

Depth: 35-640 m.

North Carolina to Suriname, also in Brazil.