Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Diplectrum rostrum, Barsnout sand-perch, Bridled sand-perch, Narrowspur sand-perch

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

eye to snout: 2 oblique yellow stripes
eye: yellow ring
above A: yellow blotch
C base: dark blotch in center, 2 black spots at top
preopercle spur: low, blunt, rounded, 7-11 spines
cheek 10-14 rows scales
gill rakers 22-25

Diplectrum rostrum Bortone, 1974

Barsnout sand-perch, Bridled sand-perch, Narrowspur sand-perch

Body slender, elongate; angle of preoperculum a blunt, rounded bony spur with 7-11 spines, height of spur ~equal to height of border of preopercle above it; gill rakers 22-25; dorsal rays X, 12-13; anal rays III, 7-8; pectoral rays 16-18 (usually 17); tail concave; snout and between eyes scaleless; scales moderately small, rough; pored lateral-line scales 48-51; midlateral scale rows 60-70; predorsal scales 12-16; 10-14 vertical rows of scales on cheek.

Brown above, whitish below; body with 5-7 faint blackish bars, faint lines of yellow spots along side;  2 yellow bars under eye, running obliquely down and forwards to mouth, a yellow blotch under eye; indistinct yellow lines & spots across preopercle; eye with a  partial yellow ring; dorsal fin blue-white, spinous dorsal with a yellow stripe above the base, outer parts of spines dark; soft dorsal with  a yellow stripe above its base, a line of yellow spots above that and a yellow margin; an elongate yellow blotch on side above front of anal fin; anal fin whitish, with central yellow stripe; pelvics white, with yellow rays;  a large blackish blotch at base of tail fin;top of tail base with 2 black spots; tail fin grey with rows of orange spots.

Size: reaches at least 21 cm.

Inhabits sand bottoms.

Depth: 10-80 m.

Southern Baja to Peru and the Galapagos.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bentho-Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • All species
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 21
Depth Range Min
  • 10
Depth Range Max
  • 80