HomeMarine aquarium fishOther marine fishGungo highhat Gungo highhat (Pareques viola) Scientific name: Pareques viola Gilbert, 1898 The Gungo highhat (Pareques viola) is a marine fish of the family Sciaenidae. Native range: Eastern Pacific, throughout Gulf of California south to Peru. Recorded in the Galapagos Islands during the 1982-83 El Ni?o. BiologyBody elongate, moderately compressed, and deep, with a strongly arched dorsal profile; snout prominent; mouth small and sub-terminal; lower jaw enclosed by upper; chin with 5 pores but without barbels; edge of preopercle slightly serrate; lower branch of first gill arch with 6 gill rakers; second dorsal fin very long, with 32 to 33 soft rays; body uniformly dark, from purplish bronze to grayish brown; fins dark or blackish.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific namePareques violaFamilySciaenidae (Drums or croakers)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length25.0Common length20.0EnvironmentMarine; reef-associatedClimateTropicalDistributionEastern Pacific: throughout Gulf of California south to Peru. Recorded in the Galapagos Islands during the 1982-83 El Ni?o.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariumsResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More other marine fishMexican blennyParaclinus mexicanusTrout sweetlipsPlectorhinchus pictusGreen jobfishAprion virescensFinless sleeper rayTemera hardwickiiSpotwing flying gurnardDactyloptena macracanthaPineapplefishCleidopus gloriamarisSee all other marine fish SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026