Species: Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, Spotted sand-bass
oblique bar - eye to lower corner operculum
spots form dark lines on lower body
Paralabrax maculatofasciatus (Steindachner, 1868)
Spotted sand-bass
Body elongate, compressed; body depth 3.0-3.3 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 13-15; preopercle finely serrated; dorsal X, 13-14,third spine greatly elevated, about three times longer than second; 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 61-68; rear of top jawbone without scales.
Head and body pale grey, with numerous small black, brown, and orange spots, those on lower body in longitudinal rowsy; 6-7 indistinct long dark bars on side of body; an oblique bar from eye to lower corner of operculum; soft dorsal, tail and anal fins densely spotted.Juveniles densely spotted and with a dark line from eye to tail fin; a series of short dark bars along lower body.
Size: attains 58 cm, 3 kg, 10 years.
Inhabits low-profile, often weed-covered, reefs adjacent to sandy bottoms.
Depth: 1-60 m.
Central California to the Gulf of California, most common in the northern Gulf.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Sand & gravel
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- TEP non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- All species
- Continent
- California province, primarily
- Continent only
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 58
- Depth Range Min
-
- 1
- Depth Range Max
-
- 60
