Xenichthys xanti Gill, 1863
Longfin salema
photo by Jimenez Prado, P.

Family:  Haemulidae (Grunts), subfamily: Haemulinae
Max. size:  24 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: southern Gulf of California to Peru.
Diagnosis:  Body oblong, fusiform, and somewhat compressed (its depth contained 2.7 to 3.0 times in standard length); mouth small, terminal, and oblique, its posterior end surpassing the anterior rim of the eye; lower jaw protruding; eyes very large; first gill arch with 22 to 26 gill rakers; dorsal fin deeply notched, with 12 spines and 17 to 19 soft rays (XII, 17-19); second anal spine shorter than third; back brownish green; flanks silvery with golden highlights and 5 or 6 golden yellow longitudinal stripes; upper edge of operculum with a dark spot; caudal peduncle with a dark spot (Ref. 55763).
Biology:  Forms schools over sandy shallow bottoms (Ref. 9114).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 25 May 2007 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.