Pacific Creolefish: The Reef's Drifting Cloud of Sea Bass

Not every sea bass lurks in a cave — the Pacific creolefish does the opposite, hanging out in bright midwater schools picking food from the current. Here's how to spot it near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Pacific Creolefish · Paranthias colonus

How to spot the pacific creolefish near Jacó

Look up and out from the reef into open water, where Pacific creolefish gather in loose schools to feed. They're slender for a sea bass, rosy-brown to pinkish with a forked tail and often a few pale spots on the back. The school drifts and shimmers as it feeds.

5 fun facts about the pacific creolefish

• A sea bass that schools. Unlike its cave-dwelling grouper relatives, the creolefish lives out in the open in feeding schools.
• A plankton picker. It feeds on tiny drifting animals in the current rather than ambushing larger prey.
• Part of the grouper family. Despite its slim shape and open-water life, it belongs to the same family as the groupers and sea bass.
• Food for bigger fish. Its dense schools are an important food source for jacks, tuna and other large hunters.
• Eastern Pacific native. It's found along the Pacific coast of the Americas, often in big numbers over productive reefs.

The pacific creolefish is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.