Gungo Highhat

Body 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 (Ref. 55763).

Adults are secretive nocturnal fish that hide under ledges by day and come out only at night to feed on the epifauna of the substrate. The adults sometimes form large inactive aggregations in caves, but little or no feeding occurs. Schools of juveniles appear only in the summer (Ref. 9118). Carnivore (Ref. 57615).

Adults are secretive nocturnal fish that hide under ledges by day and come out only at night to feed on the epifauna of the substrate. The adults sometimes form large inactive aggregations in caves, but little or no feeding occurs. Schools of juveniles appear only in the summer.

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family