| Haemulidae (Grunts), subfamily: Plectorhinchinae |
| 72 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
|
reef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 25 m |
| Indo-West Pacific: East Africa (Ref. 33390) to western Indian Ocean to Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 12-14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-20; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: chin with 6 pores, no median pit; gill rakers on first gill arch 9-11 + 1 + 20-23 = 29-34; Dorsal fin with XII-XIV (usually XIII),17-20 with 3rd or 4th spines longest; lips fleshy, greatly swollen with age; scales ctenoid (rough to touch); lateral line tubed scales about 55-65; body depth 2.6-2.9 in SL; caudal fin rounded in juveniles, truncate in adults. Colour: juveniles with connected black blotches and spots that gradually break up into horizontal stripes; pectoral fins black in juveniles becoming uniform yellow in adults; tail spotted with age; adults with 6 to 12 broad dark brown, blue-brown or black stripes that persist on the belly and join horizontally across the nape and snout with anterior part of pale interspaces yellow forming 2 bright yellow stripes across interorbital and 2 around snout; eye usually yellow; fins yellow with black margins to vertical fins and black spots, pectoral fins uniform yellow with red-brown, chocolate, or blackish base, pelvic fins yellow with base red-brown, scarlet, or dark brown (Ref. 47695, 90102). |
| Inhabits coral reefs and inshore rocky reefs (Ref. 30573). Juveniles solitary, inhabits clear shallow protected lagoon; adults may be solitary or occur in aggregations (Ref. 37816). by handline and spear. Marketed fresh, a small quantity is salted (Ref. 47695). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 28 June 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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