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Species: Paralabrax loro, Parrot sand-bass, Parrot rock-bass

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head: orange spots & lines
tail base & fins: orange & brown spots
body - ~ 7 long bars
D: 3rd spine 3 times 2nd
lower gill rakers 17

Paralabrax loro Walford, 1936

Parrot sand-bass, Parrot rock-bass

Body elongate, compressed, body depth 2.6- 2.8 in SL; 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; lower gill rakers 17; preopercle finely serrated; dorsal X, 13-14, third spine greatly elevated, about three times longer than second; anal rays III, 6-8; pectoral short & square, 19 rays;  pelvics inserted under or slightly behind pectoral base; tail rounded to concave, 13-15 branched rays; scales small, rough; lateral line scales 60; rear of top jawbone without scales.

Head with large orange spots and undulating lines; ~ 7 long dark bars on body;

rear of tail base and fins (except pectorals) covered with numerous brown and orange spots; outer parts of dorsal fin and rear edge of upper lobe of tail fin yellow to orange; Juvenile with orange spots on head, upper back and fins; body with ~4 long dark bars and an oval white blotch under end of spiny dorsal.

Size: grows to at least 60 cm.

Inhabits rocky reefs and adjacent sand patches.

Depth: 1-70 m?

NE Gulf of California to northern Peru.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • No Data
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
  • Continent only
  • Continental TEP endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 60
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 70