Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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Species: Diplectrum sciurus, Gulf squirrelfish, Gulf sand-perch, Squirrel sand-perch

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

top jaw bone deep
body: 2 stripes + 8-10 bars
D 2-3 rows yellow spots
D 2-3 rows yellow spots
preopercular spur: deep, square, 5-10 spines
gill rakers 32-41

Diplectrum sciurus Gilbert, 1892

Squirrel sand-perch, Gulf sand-perch, Gulf squirrelfish

Body elongate, slender, moderately compressed; width of upper jawbone > width between eye and that bone; angle of preopercle a deep, square bony spur with 5-10 large spines, that spur wider than remainder of preopercular margin above; gill rakers 32-41 ; dorsal fairly low, X, 11-13; pelvics under or a little before pectorals; anal III,7-8; tail base slender (~ 10% of SL); tail concave; scales moderately small, rough; snout and between eyes scaleless; 47-52 lateral line scales, 12-17 vertical rows scales on cheek.

Greybrown, body with 2 dark stripes and 8-10 dark bars; inside operculum not black; spiny dorsal grey with 3 rows yellow spots, joining 2 rows of yellow spots on soft fin; dark blotch at tail base; tail dark with irregular small yellow spots.

Size: 17 cm.

Habitat: fine sand bottom.

Depth: 25-100 m.

Southern Baja and the western and the Gulf of California.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Mud
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Zooplankton
  • Pelagic fish larvae
  • Bony fishes
  • Pelagic fish eggs
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • Continent only
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • Cortez province endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 17
Depth Range Min
  • 25
Depth Range Max
  • 100