Dormitator latifrons
Pacific Fat Sleeper
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Eleotridae (Sleepers)
Dormitator
Dormitator latifrons (Pacific Fat Sleeper)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Body compressed; head flat; first dorsal fin with 7 spines, second with 1 spine and 8 to 9 rays; anal fin with 1 spine and 9 to 10 rays; lateral line with 30 to 34 scales; body depth contained about three times in standard length; body dark green to dark brown with numerous small pale spots (Ref. 55763).
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Palos Verdes in southern California, USA to Peru.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish, marine. demersal. Found in: streams, estuaries.
Biology
Inhabit estuaries, stagnant ditches or creeks of low current velocity between the sea and an elevation of 30 m. Benthic and most abundant on sandy and muddy bottoms. Ingests much mud and detritus, although also filter plankton (Ref. 36880). Found in shallow inshore areas; typically in freshwater but moves freely into the sea.
Max length: 41.0 cm TL; common length: 25.0 cm TL; max weight: 1200 g.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-02-08. Resilience: High (K=0.57).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial.
References
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983) A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p.
Chang, B.D. and W. Navas (1984) Seasonal variations in growth, condition and gonads of Dormitator latifrons (Richardson) in the Chone River Basin, Ecuador. J. Fish Biol. 24(6):637-648.
Cadena, M. (1982) Stomach content of Dormitator latifrons (Richardson) Manabi Province, Ecuador. Rev. Cienc. Mar. Limnol. 1(2):219-229.
Yánez-Arancibia, A. and G. Díaz-González (1989) Ecologia trofodinámica de Dormitator latifrons (Richardson) en nueve lagunas costeras del Pacifico de México. An. Centro Cienc. Del. Mar. Y Limnol. Univ. Nal. Autón. México 4(1):125-140.
Jiménez Prado, P. and P. Béarez (2004) Peces Marinos del Ecuador continental. Tomo 2: Guía de Especies / Marine fishes of continental Ecuador. Volume 2: Species Guide. SIMBIOE/NAZCA/IFEA.
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