Species: Stereolepis gigas, Giant sea-bass
Stereolepis gigas Ayres, 1859
Giant sea-bass
Body robust, oblong, depth ~ 40% of SL; mouth large, with small teeth; rear of top jaw exposed; preopercle weakly serrated; 2 flat blunt spines at angle of operculum; 9-10 rakers on first gill arch; 1 strongly notched dorsal fin, XI-XII strong spines, 9-10 rays, base of low spinous part longer than base of high soft part; anal III, 8-9; scales rough, small, 57-67 on lateral line, on body and head except snout, jaws and between eyes; tail edge straight, with rounded tips.
Adults grey to dark brown body and fins, paler below; large brown blotches on sides; pale spots underside of head and belly. Juveniles brown, with dark brown spots on head, body, median fins; yellow spots on the underside of head and belly; dorsal, anal and tail dark with clear rear margins, pelvics black, pectorals clear.
Size: 226 cm; at least 256 kg.
Habitat: rocky bottoms, algal beds; juveniles on sand, algae.
Depth: 5-45 m.
California to SW Baja, the west and northeast Gulf of California.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sharks/rays
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- No data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- TEP non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- All species
- Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- California province, primarily
- Continent
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
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- Critically endangered
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 226
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 45
