Species: Plectranthias species A, White-barred Bass

Plectranthias species A

White-barred Bass

Body oblong, compressed; head large, eye large; snout short; top jaw protrusible; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; tooth patch on center of roof of mouth chevron-shaped; preopercle with or without 1-3 strong forward pointing spines at its lower angle; gill rakers short, 14-31; dorsal fin X, membranes notched between spines, 15-17, weak notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 7; tail fin straight to rounded; scales rough (teeth on on margins) large, 28-46 in lateral line; lateral line complete; scales around tail base 12-22; rear bone of top jaw (maxilla) not scaled; lateral line continuous, complete.

Nape and side of head orange to yellow, remainder white; body yellow to orange, with 4 long, irregular white bars - under spiny dorsal, and the front and rear of the soft dorsal; dorsal, tail, anal and pelvic fins whitish, with a strong white bar at the front of the dorsal fin; in juveniles the dark bars on the head and body are orange.

Reaches ~ 7 cm.

Habitat ranges from ledges and small overhangson walls and big rocks, as well as around soft corals and sponges, and on cobble in coarse sand.

Depth range 90-150 m

The Lesser Antilles