Spottail seabream
(Diplodus holbrookii)
General data
Spottail pinfish are almost totally gray in color, with a large, black spot on the distal end of the caudal peduncle. This is similar to other members of its genus, Diplodus annularis and Diplodus sargus - though D. sargus has several vertical bars that the Spottail pinfish does not.
Spottail pinfish are exclusive to the western Atlantic ocean. They can be found from Chesapeake bay to southern Florida. Spottail pinfish are also known from the northern Gulf of Mexico, but are not known from the West Indies. There are only questionable reports from Cuba.
Spottail pinfish are common to shallow waters (only as deep as 28m) near coasts, such as bays and harbors, though only rarely in brackish areas. They prefer flat, vegetated bottoms such as beds of sea grass, where they feed on a mixture of plants (such as Thalassia) and small invertebrates.
