Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii, Juveniles. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off La Jolla, California, January 2013. Length: 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) to 7.6 cm (3.0 inches). Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off San Diego, California, November 2018. Length: 10.5 cm (4.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii. Fish caught from within Mission Bay, San Diego, California, November 2018. Length: 17 cm (6.7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Abreojos, Baja California Sur, November 2022. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Catch, photograph and identifications courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii. Fish caught in waters adjacent to at Roca Consag, San Felipe, Baja California, May 2015. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Photograph courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.
Sargo, Anistremus davidsonii. Fish caught in coastal waters off La Bocana, Baja California Sur, April 2016. Length: 32 cm (13 inches). Note the atypical coloration being of a green tinge and lacking the strong black mid-dorsal line.
Sargo, Anistremus davidsonii. Fish caught in coastal waters off Santo Domingo, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Length: 35 cm (14 inches).
Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Del Mar, California, October 2017. Length: 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.
Sargo, Anistremus davidsonii. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off La Jolla, California, September 2017. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
The Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii, is a member of the Grunt or Haemulidae Family, that is also known as the Xanthic Sargo and in Mexico as sargo rayado. Globally, there are ten species in the genus Anisotremus, of which six are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic and four in the Pacific Ocean.
The Sargo has an elongated deeply compressed body that has a depth that is 39% to 41% of standard length. They have an overall pale dusky yellow coloration with a single broad vertical black bar running from their fifth and six dorsal spines downward to the level of their pectoral base that provides for a straight forward identification. The upper margin of their gill cover is black and there is a dark spot at the base of their pectoral fin. They have a short head with a blunt snout and a high back. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 9 to 11 rays; their caudal fin is forked; their dorsal fin is continuous with a deep notch with 11 or 12 spines, the fourth is the longest, and 14 to 16 rays; and, their pectoral fins are short and do not reach the anal fin origin. The are covered with scales.
The Sargo is a demersal species that are bottom near shore in and around rocky reefs and occasionally over sandy bottoms at depths up to 61 m (200 feet). The juveniles form schools that can be found in tidal pools. They are the largest of the grunts and reach a maximum of 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches) in length and up to 2.5 kg (5 lbs 8 oz) in weight. As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 2.1 kg (4 lbs 11 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters Barcelona, Spain, in January 2017.
The Sargo is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being found along the west coast of Baja as far south as Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, with this southerly range being established by a fish in my possession; there are also reports that there isolated populations scattered throughout the Sea of Cortez.
The Sargo can be confused with the Silvergray Grunt, Anisotremus caesius (silvery yellow color; broad vertical black bar running from before dorsal fin to pectoral base).
From a conservation perspective the Sargo is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are reasonable in sized but viewed as marginal table fare.
Note: The Sargo was successfully introduced to the Salton Sea in the Southern California desert in 1951. However, in recent years it has declined in population with fish now being smaller and having shorter lifespans, which has been attributed to significantly declining water quality and related issues.