Fish Identification Photos: Bighead Sand Perch, Diplectrum euryplectrum: The Bighead Sand Perch has an elongated body, overall grey-brown coloration, white belly, and a series of characteristic markings including four double dark bars on the sides, a large dark spot on the base of the tail, a series of yellow stripes on the head, and a purple spot on the gill covers.

The anal fin of the Bighead Sand Perch has a very wide yellow-brown stripe. The caudal fin has two very wide yellow-brown stripes, and the dorsal fin has a continuous yellow-brown stripe that runs its length.

A key to identification of the Bighead Sand Perch is the dark line that is present at the bottom of the rayous portion of the dorsal fin (as pictured below).

The Bighead Sand Perch reaches seven inches in length and is found at depths between 50 and 450 feet over sandy bottoms.

Due to it being a small, rare, and a deep water species, not much is known about its behavior.

The Bighead Sand Perch can be easily confused with the Greater Sand Perch, Diplectrum maximum (fins without lines or dots and the third and fourth dorsal spines are of equal length), the High-Fin Sand Perch, Diplectrum labarum (the second to fourth dorsal spines are long), and the Orange Spotted Sand Perch, Diplectrum eumelum (head covered with orange spots).

In Mexican waters the Bighead Sand Perch is found from Magdalena Bay south along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, in the lower one-third of the Sea of Cortez, and along all parts of the coastal Mexican mainland south to Guatemala. It appears to be absent from around the Mexican oceanic islands.

The Bighead Sand Perch is a member of the Serranidae Family which includes perches, groupers and sea basses.

Bighead Sand Perch, Diplectrum euryplectrum: A rare catch made with Capt. Pata in the panga Salomé, in 78-degree, 150-foot deep water, in December 2006, utilizing a Sabiki Rig, 10 miles north of La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Size approximately 5 inches. Fish identification courtesy of Dr. Ross Robertson, Smithsonian Institute, Panama. Description and photo courtesy of John Snow.