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It is an Opaleye with xanthochromism (that is also not well)





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Posted by Andrew Saxon, MD on September 06, 2006 at 12:27:25:

In Reply to: Fish ID help posted by Anastasia L on September 06, 2006 at 10:28:08:

Re: Fish ID help, Opaleye with xanthochromism

The fish certainly does not look healthy but the orange/yellow coloration is called xanthochromism. It occurs in Opelye. I know because I have sent one of them from the W end of Anacapa to CA Dept F&G quite a few years ago and Peter Haaker there told me about it.

It is most spectacular in Leopard Grouper. When alive, the Leopard Grouper's mottled background tends to form irregular, interconnected bars down its sides. After death, these fade away, leaving the field of spots. Approximately 1% of Leopard Groupers exhibit the Golden Phase, and are called Golden Grouper, or sometimes Golden Cabrilla, an easy fish to identify due to its spectacular, overall orange color.

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, from xanthos: yellow



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