Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

yellow bar: eye to top lip
body: thin dark bars
soft D: row orange spots, rear rays < front rays
D length front rays > rear rays
preopercle spur: very deep, angular, 8-13 spines

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.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Mud
  • Sand & gravel
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • No data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • 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
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 28.8
Depth Range Min
  • 10
Depth Range Max
  • 134