Dermatolepis dermatolepis
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| Dermatolepis dermatolepis | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Epinephelidae |
| Genus: | Dermatolepis |
| Species: | D. dermatolepis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dermatolepis dermatolepis (Boulenger, 1895) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Dermatolepis dermatolepis, the leather bass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is a predatory reef fish which is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Dermatolepis dermatolepis has a body which is at least twice as deep as its standard length[3] which is at its deepest at the origin of the dorsal fin and laterally compressed.[4] The dorsal profile of head is steep and the eye has a diameter which is less than the length of the snout. The caudal fin is rounded and the pectoral fins are short. The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 18-20 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 9 soft rays.[2] The adults have a greyish-brown body with alternating dark grey to blackish and white to pale grey bars mottled by many white to pale blotches. The margins of the fins have thin bands of yellow. The juveniles are black with narrow white stripes on the head and the body which extend onto the dorsal and anal fins with a white caudal fin which has black spots.[4] The maximum recorded total length is 100 centimetres (39 in) and they have been weighted up to 125 kilograms (276 lb).[2]
Distribution
Dermatolepis dermatolepis occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the western coast of North and South America from southern California to Peru. They are also found on the Galapagos Islands, the Revillagigedo Islands, Cocos Island and Clipperton Island.[2]