Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 30874). Tropical; 28°N - 28°S
Eastern Indian Ocean: Cocos-Keeling and Christmas islands. Pacific Ocean: all islands of Oceania except Hawaii and Easter Island. Also known from the Ogasawara Islands (Ref. 559). Remains unreported from any continental shore or any of the large islands of the Indo-Malayan region.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 29.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2334); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9947)
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6. Occurs in two basic color morphs: a light phase with a broad white longitudinal band and a maroon to black phase (Paracirrhites polystictus) with a conspicuous white blotch on each side (Ref. 37816).
An uncommon species that inhabits exposed reef fronts and outer reef slopes to a depth of about 18 m where it perches on rocks and corals. Feeds on small crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 89972). Absent from most large continental islands (Ref. 9710). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797. Solitary (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p. (Ref. 2334)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 25.4 - 29.4, mean 28.2 °C (based on 1081 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00933 (0.00385 - 0.02260), b=3.08 (2.87 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (19 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 63.8 [41.0, 93.5] mg/100g; Iron = 0.671 [0.435, 1.063] mg/100g; Protein = 19.2 [18.2, 20.1] %; Omega3 = 0.133 [0.093, 0.190] g/100g; Selenium = 29.2 [17.7, 47.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 79.7 [31.6, 203.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.45 [1.06, 1.91] mg/100g (wet weight);
