Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Alphestes immaculatus
guaseta del Pacifico, guaseta, Mutton hamlet, Pacific mutton hamlet
Mottled reddish brown with black speckles, often with indistinct dusky bars. Several indistinct bands on pectoral fins. Juvenile - Mottled red. Length to 25 cm.
Habitat: Frequent reefs, substrata with high relief and algal patches. Nocturnal.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Perciformes
Suborder
Percoidei
Family
Serranidae
Genus
Alphestes
Species
immaculatus
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Alphestes fasciatus Hildebrand, 1946, Alphestes galapagensis Fowler, 1944, fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Eastern Pacific only. Gulf of California to Peru, Ecuador in Galápagos and Cocos
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Craig, M.T. Choat, J.H., Ferreira, B., Bertoncini, A.A., Rocha, L. & Heemstra, P.C. (2008) Alphestes immaculatus www.iucnredlist.org
- Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Alphestes immaculatus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7784. Accessed 5 June 2026.