Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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Species: Paralabrax auroguttatus, Gold-spotted sand-bass, Goldspotted sand-bass

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head, body & fins: dense orange spots
D: 3rd spine > 3 times 2nd
back: 2-3 thin pale stripes
13-14 gill rakers

Paralabrax auroguttatus Walford, 1936

Gold-spotted sand-bass, Goldspotted sand-bass

Body elongate, compressed; head pointed; mouth large; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; teeth fixed;  roof of mouth with teeth on sides and center; total gill rakers 13-14; preopercle finely serrated; dorsal X, 13-14, third spine greatly elevated, over three times longer than second, end of fin pointed; anal rays III, 7;  pectoral 16; pelvics inserted under or slightly behind pectoral base; tail rounded to concave, 13-15 branched rays; scales small, rough; lateral line scales 73; rear of top jawbone without scales.

Overall brownish becoming white ventrally; head and sides covered with numerous golden orange to brownish spots; back with 2-3 thin pale stripes; lining of gill cavity orange; juveniles white with three dark brown stripes and a lighter brown stripe or longitudinal row of spots between each dark stripe, the stripes break up into spots with increased growth.

Size: to at least 71 cm.

Inhabits rocky bottoms.

Depth: 2-183 m.

Central Baja to the Gulf of California to central Mexico.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • TEP non-endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • California province, primarily
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
  • Continent
  • Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
  • Continent only
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Depth Range Min
  • 2
Depth Range Max
  • 183
Length Max
  • 71