Diplectrum formosum
Sand Perch
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Serranidae (Sea Basses and Groupers)
Diplectrum
Diplectrum formosum (Sand Perch)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Spines on preoperculum radiating from two clusters. Posterior margin of anterior naris developed as large flap. Maxilla extends to center of eye. Jaw teeth villiform except for row of 5 to 10 canine teeth. Villiform teeth on vomer in wedge- or V-shaped patch and on palatine in narrow band. Preoperculum forms right angle between upper and lower limbs, and posterior margin is serrated. Gill rakers on first arch number 17 to 24. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 33%–39%, snout length 9%–13%, orbital length 6%–9%, interorbital width 6%–8%, body depth 25%–32%. Pectoral fin has 15 to 17 rays. Dorsal fin is slightly indented between spinous and rayed sections and has 10 spines and 11 to 13 rays. Anal fin has 6 to 8 rays. Caudal fin is truncate to moderately forked, with upper lobe slightly longer than lower lobe and frequently extended as filament. Scales are ctenoid, with 10 to 15 rows on cheeks and 8 to 12 scales between dorsal fin origin and lateral line. Pored lateral line scales number 46 to 55, and scales in horizontal series number 66 to 88.
Color is light brown on dorsal surface, tan on flanks, and white on belly. Body and dorsal fins are patterned with five to seven dark brown bars alternating with narrow blue and orange stripes. Dark blotch is present on caudal peduncle. Head is patterned with many wavy blue lines. Juveniles have two dark brown stripes.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Chincoteague, VA, and Bermuda to São Paulo, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Virgin Islands.
In the Gulf of Mexico it is most abundant off the coasts of Florida and Campeche.
Habitat Associations
Near shore to 73 m, associated with sandy to shelly bottoms or limestone and coral substrates.
Sandy to shelly bottoms or limestone and coral substrates.
Biology
Food consists of bivalves; polychaetes; mysid, penaeid, and sergestid shrimps; crabs; chaetognaths; cephalochordates; and ray-finned fishes. Crustaceans are the dominant prey.
Maximum known size is 30 cm SL.
This species is a synchronous hermaphrodite.
Inhabits bays, coastal grassy areas and shallow banks. Solitary (Ref. 26340) and retreats into shelter when frightened (Ref. 9710). Neither opercular spine nor anterolateral glandular grooves with venom gland is present (Ref. 57406). Synchronously hermaphroditic. Popular as a pan fish despite its small size.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-08-21. Resilience: High (K=0.29-1.5; tm=1.01).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Joseph and Yerger 1956
Springer and Woodburn 1960
Tabb and Manning 1961
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Stark 1968
Bortone 1977b
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Bortone et al. 1981
Matsuura 1983a
Darcy and Gutherz 1984
Robins and Ray 1986
Bullock and Smith 1991
Cervigón 1991
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Heemstra 2002c
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
Bubley, W.J. and O. Pashuk (2010) Life history of a simultaneously hermaphroditic fish, Diplectrum formosum. J. Fish Biol. 77(3):676-691. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02710.x
Comments On Diplectrum formosum