About Paranthias colonus (Valenciennes, 1846)
Paranthias colonus, commonly called the Pacific creolefish, has an elongated, fusiform body and a small head with convex profiles on both upper and lower sides. The first gill arch of this species holds 37 to 44 gill rakers. It has IX dorsal rays, 19 to 21 soft dorsal rays; III anal rays, 9 to 11 soft anal rays; and 19 to 23 pectoral rays. Its caudal (tail) fin is strongly concave. The maximum recorded total length of the Pacific creolefish is approximately 36 centimeters. Juvenile Pacific creolefish are often bright yellow, with five small dark spots on their backs. Adult individuals are greenish brown on their dorsal side and reddish on their underside, and carry five white or blue-white spots on the back. All fins of adults are reddish in color. This species is distributed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Gulf of California south to Peru. It can also be found around the Revillagigedo Islands, Galapagos Islands, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island, and Malpelo Island.
