Hemanthias leptus (Ginsburg, 1952)
Longtail bass
Hemanthias leptus
photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Family:  Anthiadidae (Fairy basslets or Streamer basses)
Max. size:  50 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 60 - 300 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: South Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea; probably more widespread. Reported from the northern coast of South America (Ref. 5217).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-14; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Pelvic fin long, its tip extending posteriorly beyond origin of anal fin; caudal fin deeply emarginate, upper lobe projecting posteriorly; body silver with a pink cast dorsally, silvery-white ventrally; a yellow line extending from snout through lower edge of eye to posterior margin of opercle; pectoral fin pink, other fins yellow (Ref. 13608).
Biology:  Occurs over hard bottoms.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 21 August 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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