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Species: Porichthys margaritatus, Blotched midshipman, Bronze midshipman, Daisy midshipman, Pearlspot midshipman

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head & body spotted
back: 6-7 saddles; D: 9-10 blotches
C: dark border
D & A not joined to C
7-9 lower gill rakers
lower LL ends behind its line of photophores
A 29-33
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This Species (5) This Genus (8) Similar Species (5)

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Porichthys margaritatus (Richardson, 1844)

Pearlspot midshipman, Bronze midshipman, Blotched midshipman, Daisy midshipman

Body compressed, elongate; head a little flattened above, no tentacles;one solid spine on opercle; no subopercular spines; teeth like canines; 7-9 lower gill rakers;  first dorsal fin 2 solid spines, separate from second dorsal fin; second dorsal 32-37 rays; anal rays 31 (29-33); dorsal and anal fins not joined to tail; no scales; 4 lateral lines on body with light organs; lower lateral line ends  BEHIND same line of light organs.

Bronze-coloured with 6 (5-7) dark brown saddles on back; blotches, and spots on upper part of head and body; 9-10 blotches on outer dorsal fin; tail border dark.

Size: to 19 cm.

Inhabits sand or mud bottoms of trawling grounds.

Depth: 5-140 m.

Southern Baja and the Gulf of California to northern Peru, the Galapagos.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
  • Brackish
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Freshwater
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • No data
  • No pelagic phase
  • No pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 19
Depth Range Min
  • 5
Depth Range Max
  • 140