Paranthias colonus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	SERRANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Paranthias colonus

Species Authority:

Valenciennes, 1846

Common Name/s:

English	–	Pacific Creole-fish, Pacific Creolfish
French	–	Badeche Du Pacifique
Spanish	–	Cabinza, Cabinza Serranida, Gringo, Indio, Ladron, Pargo Rollizo, Rabrirrubia De Lo Alto, Sandia

Synonym/s:

Paranthias fulcifer (non Valenciennes, 1828)

Paranthias pinguis Walford, 1936

Serranus colonus Valenciennes, 1846

Taxonomic Notes:

A recent publication suggests change to genus to Cephalopholis (Craig and Hastings 2007), however Paranthias colonus is retained here until there is full agreement on this revision.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Rocha, L., Ferreira, B., Choat, J.H., Craig, M. & Sadovy, Y.
Reviewer/s:	Sadovy, Y. & Moss, K. (Grouper and Wrasse Red List Authority)
Justification: Paranthias colonus is an abundant and widespread species throughout its range and is not targeted in any fishery and not currently in decline. Therefore, the species is assessed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Paranthias colonus is restricted to the eastern Pacific and is distributed from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Revillagigedo, Galápagos, Clipperton, Cocos, and Malpelo islands.
Countries:	Native: Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – southeast; Pacific – eastern central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Pacific creole-fish are very abundant throughout their range. The species is not fished and there is no known decline.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Paranthias colonus is a reef-associated species found typically in small aggregations well above the reef, but retreats to the reef at the approach of danger. The species feeds mainly on small planktonic animals picked individually from the water, made possible by their shortened snout which facilitates close-range binocular vision.
Systems:	Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Pacific creole-fish are not found in fishery. The species doesn't usually take baited hooks because of its plantivorous feeding behaviour.

Major Threat(s):

Pacific creole-fish are not found in fishery. The species doesn't usually take baited hooks because of its plantivorous feeding behaviour.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Paranthias colonus is found in several protected areas and there is currently no need to add further protection since it is not a targeted species within the fishery.

Conservation Actions:

Paranthias colonus is found in several protected areas and there is currently no need to add further protection since it is not a targeted species within the fishery.

Citation:	Rocha, L., Ferreira, B., Choat, J.H., Craig, M. & Sadovy, Y. 2008. Paranthias colonus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2012.
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