Common Name
Jeweled Gemfish
Year Described
Günther, 1859
Identification
Dorsay Fin: X, 15
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 18-19
Lateral Line Scales: 36-41
Gill Rakers: 11-13 in upper, 26-28 in lower limb of first arch; 38-40 total
Moderately deep body, head 34-37% SL, and eye large (11-14% SL). Orbit longer than snout. Upper and lower jaws both with teeth, including larger canines. Vomerine patch triangular without posterior extension. Anterior nostril with a small flap. Most of head, and maxilla, covered in scales. Lateral line continuous. Scales around caudal peduncle 17-18. No notch at boundary of spiny and soft dorsal fin. Fleshy tabs present on dorsal fin spines. Caudal fin deeply forked with extended filaments. Pelvic fin also extended in to a filament.
Color
Rosy red and orange marbling basally, becoming pale pink to whitish ventrally, with bright white scale centers laterally and ventrally. There are two yellow stripes on the head: one through the mid-orbit and another running under the eye from the snout. Dorsal fin yellow with a rosy red outer margin and brilliant violet markings on the rear half. Anal Fin yellow with a blue border. Caudal fin yellow with a rosy red to magenta outer edge. Pelvic fin yellow with a blue anterior edge. Pectoral fins salmon to pallid.
Size
Maximum size to 16cm SL
Habitat
Deep water from 230-320m
Range
Curacao to Venezuela and NE Brazil
References
Anderson, W.D. Jr. and P.C. Heemstra. 1980. Two new species of Western Atlantic Anthias (Piseces: Serranidae), Redescription of A. asperilinguis and review of Holanthias martinicensis. Copeia 1980(1):72-87.
Anderson, W. D., Jr. & Heemstra, P. C. 2012. Review of Atlantic and eastern Pacific anthiine fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Serranidae), with descriptions of two new genera. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 102 (2): 1-173.
Heemstra, P.C., Anderson, W.D. Jr., and P.S. Lobel. 2002. Serranidae. In: FAO Species Identification Guide to Fishes of the Western Atlantic. (ed. Carpenter K), pp. 1308–1369. UN FAO Publishers, Rome.