Nature Field Guide
Pacific Graysby
- Spanish name
- Cabrilla panameña
- Scientific name
- Cephalopholis panamensis
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico: “I spotted a dark patch beside its eye!”
Tati: “Now let’s check the narrow bars and rounded tail.”
Species overview
About the Pacific Graysby
The adult's gray-brown body has roughly nine narrow dark bars. A conspicuous dark area lies immediately behind the eye. Fine blue and orange markings can appear on the head.
This reef fish feeds on fish and other small marine animals. Its rounded tail and robust body identify it as a different shape from fast, fork-tailed jacks.
Identification
Key Features of the Pacific Graysby
Narrow dark vertical bars
Dark patch behind the eye
Rounded tail
Habitat & range
Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.
Local observations
Recorded at Cabo Blanco.
When to observe
Visibility depends on water clarity, currents, depth and conditions. No fixed local viewing or migration season is assigned.
Conservation & care
Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.
Threats & pressures
Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.
Observation activity
Compare its narrow bars with the starry grouper's white patches. Record two differences.
Explore by location
Guanacaste · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific · Ocean & Coastal Life