Species: Diplectrum macropoma, Barred sand-perch, Big-scale sand-perch, Mexican sand-perch, Pygmy sand-perch

soft D: row orange spots, rear rays < front rays

Diplectrum macropoma (Günther, 1864)
Mexican sand-perch, Pygmy sand-perch, Big-scale sand-perch, Barred sand-perch
Elongate, slender; head small, pointed; angle of preoperculum a wide, angular bony spur with 8-13 long spines, height of spur > height of part above of rear border of preopercle; gill rakers 17-24 (usually 18-22); dorsal rays X, 11-13, end rays shorter than front rays; anal rays III, 7; pectoral rays 16-18 (usually 17); snout and between eyes scaleless; scales moderately small, rough; pored lateral-line scales 44-51; 7-10 vertical rows of scales on cheek; midlateral scale rows 48-63; predorsal scales 10-18.
Pale copper to light brown on upper half, white below; upper body with two rows of thin dark bars on side; a yellow bar under eye down towards front side of mouth; inside operculum black and yellow; a row of orange-brown spots along middle of soft dorsal fin; pectoral and pelvic fins pale orange to reddish orange; anal fin pale, with a central orange stripe; caudal fin with dark blotch on base, vertical rows of orange spots, upper lobe bright reddish orange.
Maximum size, 24 cm.
Inhabits open mud or sand bottoms.
Depth: 10-134 m.
Lower Baja California and the Gulf to Peru, including the Galapagos.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Mud
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- No data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- TEP endemic
- All species
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 28.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 10
- Depth Range Max
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- 134