Borriqueta porgy (Boridia grossidens)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Haemulidae · Genus: Boridia.

Accepted name: Boridia grossidens · Authority: Cuvier, 1830 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 279940.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279940 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Boridia grossidens. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 19.200000762939453 cm · Common length: 30 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 36.9 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 14062) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Boridia-grossidens.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

44 georeferenced occurrence records for Boridia grossidens are published through GBIF from 3 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 13 distinct locations from a sample of 44 records, omitting 10 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Brazil (42); Argentina (1); Uruguay (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2382586) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2382586&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279940 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Boridia grossidens Cuvier, 1830 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 194411) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194411/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2382586) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2382586/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The borriqueta porgy has a rectangular body with a shallow, blunt head in which the eyes are placed towards the front and there is a small mouth. The soft-rayed parts of the dorsal and anal fins are scaleless and there is a clear notch between spines and soft-rayed portions of the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin contains 12 spines and 13 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 10-11 soft rays. The initial pair of dorsal spines are low and the second spine in the anal fin is robust.

It has short pectoral fins. The colour of the body is light grey, darkening on the back. The margins of the scales are dark, creating a latticed pattern. The spines portion of the dorsal fin is grey with darker membranes between the spines.

The soft-rayed parts of the dorsal and anal fins are grey with a darker blotch. The rear parts of the caudal and pelvic fins are dark. This species attains a maximum total length of 32 cm.

Distribution

The borriqueta porgy is found in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is found off southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. There is some evidence of a southward shift in its range due to warming water temperatures which may be a result of climate change.

Habitat and biology

The borriqueta porgy is found in the waters of the continental shelf and in estuaries over soft substrates. They form distinct pairs for mating. The trematode Diplomonorchis leiostomi has been recorded as an endoparasite of this species.

Systematics

The borriqueta porgy was first formally described in 1830 by the French anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) with the type locality given as Brazil. The genus Boridia is monospecific. The genus name is derived from a word used by Xenocrates (ca. 396/5-314/3 BC) for an unidentified fish while the specific name is a compound of grossus meaning “large” and dens meaning “teeth”, a reference to the large front teeth on both jaws.

Source: Wikipedia: Borriqueta porgy — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borriqueta_porgy (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.