Genus: Diplodus, Pinfishes, Porgies, Spottail Porgy

DIPLODUS

PORGIES, PINFISHES

Body deep, oval, compressed; head small, both profiles convex; snout pointed; mouth small, opens at front; bone under front of eye overlaps rear bone of top jaw; jaw teeth in 2 rows, strongly flattened, broad incisors at front, molar like at sides; preopercle border smooth; dorsal fin low, XII, 1st spine not pointing forwards; anal fin short, III short spines; pectoral long, much longer than pelvic; cheeks and opercles scaly, but no scales on snout or between the eye and mouth; a large dark blotch on upper tail base.

This is a tropical to temperate genus from both sides of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the W Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, with 14 species; 3 species (1 endemic, 1 W Atlantic and 1 NW Atlantic) are found in our region.