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Species: Paralabrax dewegeri, Vieja Parrot Bass, Vieja parrot rock-bass

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

elongate, compressed
head, body, soft D & A, C red spots
lower body - white + 6 black bars
D spines III-IV elongate
pectoral base: dark blotch
top jawbone - rear no scales

Paralabrax dewegeri (Metzelaar, 1919)

Vieja parrot rock-bass

Body elongate, compressed; head pointed; front nostril a short tube with a fringed flap; flat between eyes; mouth large, rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it, without scales; teeth fixed, not depressible; roof of mouth with teeth on sides and center; preoperculum evenly rounded, finely serrated; operculum with 3 spines, upper spine blunt, inconspicuous, other 2 spines sharp, exposed; gill rakers 21; dorsal X, 13-14, 3rd and 4th spines elongate, longer than longest rays; anal rays III, 7; soft dorsal and anal fin ends rounded; pectoral rays 16-17; pelvics inserted under or slightly behind pectoral base; tail straight,13-15 branched rays; scales small, rough, 55-58 on lateral line.

Head and upper back with orange and brown spots; lower body white, with ~6 dark bars; fins (except pectorals) covered with numerous brown spots; base of pectoral with a large dark blotch at front and a thin bar behind.

Size: grows to 43 cm.

Inhabits rocky reefs and soft coral beds, and rubble areas, enters brackish water.

Depth: 10-50 m.

Venezuela to northern Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Corals
  • Estuary
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • All species..
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 43
Depth Range Min
  • 10
Depth Range Max
  • 50