Species: Dermatolepis dermatolepis, Leather bass
forehead oblique
juv: black + many white bars
Dermatolepis dermatolepis (Boulenger, 1895)
Leather bass
Body deep (deepest at origin of dorsal fin), strongly compressed; snout much longer than eye; forehead profile oblique, steep; rear nostrils 2-3 times larger than front nostrils; preopercle finely serrated; gill rakers on first arch 21-24; dorsal fin with XI spines, 18-20 rays, membranes only slightly notched between spines; anal rays III, 9; pectoral rays 19-20, fins rounded, distinctly longer than pelvics; tail fin with straight edge; body scales smooth.
Grey brown; body with alternating dark grey to blackish and white to light grey bars overlain with numerous white to pale blotches; fin margins narrowly yellow; juveniles black with numerous narrow white bars on head and body and extending onto dorsal and anal fins; tail fin white + black spots.
Size: grows to 100 cm; at least 12.5 kg.
Inhabits rocky and coral reefs, small juveniles may shelter among the long spines of the sea urchins Centrostephanus and Diadema.
Depth: 5-40 m.
Southern California to the central Gulf of California to Ecuador and all the oceanic islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Corals
- Reef only
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- Continent
- TEP endemic
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 100
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 40
